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THE 

PORTRAIT 



OF 



SAINT PAUL: 

OR, THE 

TRUE MODEL 
for 

CHRISTIANS AND PASTORS. 

TRANSLATED FROM A FRENCH MANUSCRIPT OF 
THE LATE 



RE F. JO HA' WILLIAM BE LA FLEC HE RE, 

VICAR OF MADELEY, 

BY THE REV. JOSHUA GILPIN, 

VICAR OF ROCKWARDINE, IN THE COUNTY OF SALOF. 



»E YE FOLLOWERS OF ME EVEN A? I ALSO AM OF CHRIST-. -I COR. XI. I. 



JSTRW-YORKt 

PRINTED BY KIRK tff ROBINSON, FOR THE METHODIST SOCIETY, 

AND SOLD BY E. COOPER, AND J. WTL50N, AT 

THE BOOK ROOM. 



1804. 

L 





A® 



6° 



m 



$ 
s 



<T0 



4 



TO 

JAMES IRELAND, Esquire, 
OF BRISL1NGTON NEAR BRISTOL, 

THE 
FOLLOWING WORK IS 
RESPECTFULLY ADDRESSED 
AS A MONUMENT 
OF 
THE LONG AND INTIMATE FRIENDSHIP, 
WHICH SUBSISTED BETWEEN HIM 
AND THE AUTHOR ; 
AND 
AS A PUBLIC 
ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF THE 
VERY LIBERAL ASSISTANCE AN© 
SUPPORT, WITH WHICH HX 
HAS FAVOURED 

HIS TRULY OBLIGE© 

AND OBEDIENT SERVANT, 

THE TRANSLATOR, 






ADVERTISEMENT, 



wing work wa® undertaken, and marly 
eomfil ing M\ de la FiecherfSs last residence 

in - iff and* where it was originally bit 'ended for 
publication* 



THE 



AUTHOR'S PREFACE. 



MANY celebrated writers have offered excellent tre-a- 
*%ises to the public, some on the character of a true christian, and 
ethers on the duties of a good pastor. It were to be wished, 
that these two objects might be so closely united, as to fall under 
the same point of view : and to effect such an union is the de- 
sign of this work, in which may "be seen, at one view, what were 
the primitive christians and the apostolic pastors; and what they 
are required to be, who are called to follow them in the progress 
of piety. 

As example is more powerful than precept, it was necessary 
that some person should be singled out, who was both an excel- 
lent christian, and an eminent minister of Jesus Christ. The 
person we fix upon is St. Paul, in whom these two characters 
Were remarkably united, and a sketch of whose wenderous Por- 
trait we endeavour to exhibit in the following pages. When this 
apostle is considered as a christian, his diligence in filling up the 
duties of his vocation, his patience in times of trial, his courage 
in the midst of dangers, his perseverance in well-doing, his faith, 
his humility, his charity, all sweetly blended together, constitute 
him an admirable model for every christian. And when we re- 
gard him as a dispenser of the mysteries of God, his inviolable at- 
tachment to truth, and his unconquerable zeal, equally distant 
from fanaticism and indifference, deserve the imitation of ev4i y 
minister of the Gospel, 

A 2 



9 



The Holy Scriptures furnish materials in^abundance for the 
present work, The Acts of the Apostles from chapter viii. con- 
taining little else than a narration of the labours of St, Paul, or an 
abridgement of his sermons and apologies. The new Testament, 
besides the Acts, contains twenty-two different books, fourteen of 
which were composed by this Apostle himself, with ail the frank- 
ness suited to the epistolary style, and all the personal detail, into 
which he was obliged to enter, when writing in an uncommon va- 
riety of circumstances, to his friends, his brethren and his spiritual 
children. It is on such occasions, that a man is most likely to dis- 
cover, what he really is : and it is on such occasions that the moral 
painter may take an author in the most interesting positions, in or- 
der to delineate, with accuracy, his sentiments, his circumstances, 
and his conduct. 

Let it not be said, that in proposing this Apostle as a mode! 
to christians, we do but cast discouragements in the way of those, 
who are at an immense distance behind him, with respect both to 
gruce and diligence. The masterly skill, that Raphael and Ru- 
bens have discovered in their pieces serves not to discourage mod- 
ern painters, who rather labour to form themselves by such grand 
models. Poets and orators are not disheartened by those chef* 
aoeiivresoi poetry and eloquence, which Homer ami Virgil, De- 
mosthenes and Cicero, have transmitted to posterity : why then 
sh ould we be discouraged by considering the eminent virtues and 
Unwearied labours of this great apostle ? The greater the excel- 
lence of the pattern proposed, the less likely is the laboured copy 
to be incomplete. 

It is granted, that all the faithful are not called to be minis- 
ters, and that all ministers are not appointed, like St, Paul, t<* 
establish new churches : but it is maintained, that all christians, 
in their different states, are to be filled with the piety of that 
Apostle. K the most inconsiderable trader among us is not 
allowed to say, " 1 deal only in trifling articles, and therefore 
" should be indulged with a false balance".. ..if such a trader is 
required to be as just in his shop, as a judge on his tribunal ; 
and if the lowest volunteer in an army is called to show a* 
much valour in his humble post, as a general officer in his more 
exalted station; the same kind of reasoning may be applied to. 
the christian church : so that her youngest communicant is not 
'lk.I to say, " my .youth, or the weakness of my sex, «- 



TH« AUTHOR'S PREFACE. 

* cuses me from exercising the charity, the humility, the dill- 
« genccj and the zeal, which the scriptures prescribe." 

It should be laid down as an incontrovertible truth, that the 
same zeal which was manifested by St. Paul, for the glory of 
God, and the same charity, that he displayed, as an apostle, in 
the very extensive scene of his labours, a minister is called to ex- 
ercise, as a pastor, in his parish, and a private person, as father of 
a family, in his own house. Nay, even every woman, in propor* 
tion to her capacity, and as the other duties of her station per- 
mit, should feel the same ardour to promote the salvation of 
her children and domestics, as St. Paul once discovered to pro- 
mote that of the ancient Jews and Gentiles. Observe in the 
harvest-field, how it fares with the labourers, when they are 
threatened with an impetuous shower. All do not bind and 
bear the weighty sheaves. Every one is occupied according to 
their rank, their strength, their age, and their sex ; and all 
are in action, even to the little gleaners. The true church 
resembles this field. The faithful of every rank, age, and sex, 
have but one heart and one mind, According to their state, 
and the degree of their faith, all are animated to labour ia 
'the cause of God, and all are endeavouring to save either com- 
munities, families, or individuals, from the wrath to come; 
as the reapers and gleaners endeavour to secure the rich sheaves* 
and even the single ears of grain, from the gathering storm 

If, in the course of this work, some truths are proposed, 
which may appear new to the christian reader, let him can- 
didly appeal, for the validity of them, to the Holy Scriptures, 
and to the testimony of reason, supported by the most re- 
spectable authorities, such as the confessions of faith adopted 
by the purest churches, together with the works of the most 
celebrated pastors and professors, who have explained such 
*onfessions . 

Among other excellent ends proposed in publishing the 
following sheets, it is hoped, that they may bring back bigot- 
ed divines to evangelical moderation, and either reconcile, o? 
bring near to one another, the orthodox professor, the iiE£#F« 
f«ct chrUtiaJij aad the sincere desist. 



THE 
FIRST TRAIT 



IN THE 



MORAL CHARACTER 



OF 



SAINT PAUL. 



HIS EARLY PIETY. 

THE great apostle of the gentiles bore no 
resemblance to those, who reject the service of God, 
till they are rendered incapable of gratifying their 
unruly passions. He was mindful of his Creator 
from his early youth, and as an observer of religious 
rites outstripped the most exact, and rigid professors 
of his time : so that the regularity of his conduct, 
the fervour of his devotion, and the vivacity of his 
zeal, attracted the attention of his superiors In every 
place. Observe the manner in which he himself 
speaks on this subject, before the tribunal of Fes- 
tus : " My manner of life, from my youth, which 
was at the first among my own nation at Jerusalem, 
know all the Jews, which knew me from the begin- 
ning, (if they would testify) that after the straitest sect 
of our religion I lived a pharisee." Having occasion 
afterwards to mention the same circumstances, in 
his epistle to the Galatians, he writes thus : " Ye 
have heard of my conversation in time past, how I 
profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals 
in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous 
of the traditions of my fathers." And to what an extra- 
ordinary pitch of excellence he had carried his mor- 



JO rax portrait or ST. PAUL, 

ality, may be inferred from the following short but 
solemn declaration, which was made in the presence 
of persons, who were very well competent to have 
convicted him of falsehood, had there been found the 
least blemish in his outward conduct : " Men and bre- 
thren, I have lived in all good conscience before God, 
unto this day." Such was the early piety of St. 
Paul ; and such was the righteousness, in which he 
trusted, when through zeal for the church and state, 
of which he was a member, he persecuted christians 
as disturbers of the public peace. 

As we have seen the beautiful side of this apos- 
tle's early character, let us now consider his defects. 
Asa member of the Jewish church, he was inspired 
with zeal, but that zeal was rigid and severe : as a 
member of society his manners were probably cour- 
teous, but on some occasions his behaviour was ty- 
ranical and inhuman: in a word, he possessed the 
whole of religion, except those essential parts of it, 
humility and charity. Supercilious and impatient, 
he would bear no contradiction. Presuming upon 
his own sufficiency, he gave himself no time to com- 
pare his errors with truth : and hence, covering his 
cruelty with the specious name of zeal, he breathed 
out" threatenings and slaughter against the disciples 
of the Lord." He himself, speaking of this part of 
his character, makes the following humiliating con- 
fession* " I was a blasphemer, and a persecutor and 
injurious. I verily thought with myself, that I ought 
to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of 
Nazareth. Which thing I also did in Jerusalem, 
and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having 
received authority from the chief priests ; and when 
they were put to death, I gave my voice against 
them. And I punished them oft in every syna- 
gogue, and compelled them to blaspheme ; and be- 
ing exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them 
even unto strange cities." 

Nevertheless, this rigid pharisee, who carried his 
devotion, to bigotry, and his zeal to fury, had an up* 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 11 

right heart in the sight of God. " I obtained mer- 
cy," says he after his conversion, " because I did 
it ignorantly in unbelief," imagining, that when I 
persecuted the disciples of Jesus, I was opposing a 
torrent of the most dangerous errors, 

Piety is that knowledge of God and^he various re* 
lations he stands in to man, which leads us to adore, 
to love, and to obey him, in public and in private. 
This great virtue is the first trait in the moral cha- 
racter of St. Paul ; and it is absolutely necessary to 
the christian character in general, since it is that 
parent of all virtues, to which God has given the pro- 
mise of the present life, and of that, w T hich is to 
come. But it is more particularly necessary to 
those, who consecrate themselves to the holy minis- 
try ; since being obliged by their office, to exhibit be- 
fore their flock an example of piety, if they them- 
selves are destitute of godliness, they must necessa- 
rily act without any conformity to the sacred cha- 
racter, they have dared to assume- 

If Quintilian, the heathen, has laid it down as a 
general principle, that it is impossible to become 
a good orator, without being a good man; surely no 
one will deny, that piety should be considered as th© 
iirsg qualification essential to a christian speaker. 
Mens* Roques, in his Evangelical Pastor, observes, 
that " The minister by his situation, is a man re- 
" tired from the world, devoted to God, and called 
" to evangelical holiness," " He is," continues he, 
« according to St. Paul, a man of God i. e. a person 
" entirely consecrated to God ; a man of superior 
* 5 excellence ; a man, in some sense, divine : and to 
" answer, in any degree, the import of this appella- 
44 tion, it is necessary, that his piety should be illus- 
* trious, solid, and universal." Without doubt this 
pious author had collected these beautiful ideas 
from the writings of St. Paul, whe thus addresses 
Tk a the same subject : " A minister must be 

blameless, as the steward of God ; not self-willed, 
not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not 



It fHE PORTRAIT OF ST. PATJ&. 

given to filthy lucre : but a lover of hospitality, a 
lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate : 
holding* fast the faithful word, that he may be able, 
by sound doctrine, both to exhort and to convince, the 
gainsayers. He must use sound speech, that cannot 
be condemned : in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, 
gravity, sincerity ; that he, who is of the contrary 
part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of 
him." 

A pastor without piety disgraces the holy profes- 
sion, which he has made choice of, most probably 
from the same temporal motives, which influence 
others to embrace the study of the law, or the pro- 
fession of arms* If those, who were called to serve 
tables, were to be men of honest report, full of the 
Holy Ghost and wisdom, it is evident, that the same 
dispositions and graces should be possessed, in a 
more eminent degree, by those, who are called to 
minister in holy things. " When thou art convert- 
ed," said Christ to Peter, "strengthen thy brethren." 

No sight can be more absurd, than that of an im- 
penitent infidel engaged in calling sinners to repen- 
tance and faith. Even the men of the world look 
down with contempt upon a minister of this des- 
cription, whose conduct perpetually contradicts his 
discourses, and who, while he is pressing upon 
others the necessity of holiness, indulges himself in 
the pleasures of habitual sin. Such a preacher, far 
from being instrumental in effecting true conver- 
sions among his people, will generally lead his hear- 
ers into the same hypocrisy, which distinguishes his 
own character: since that, which was said in ancient 
times, holds equally true in the present day, " Like 
people, like priest." Lukewarm pastors make care- 
less christians ; and the worldly preacher leads his 
worldly hearers as necessarily into carnal security, 
as a blind guide conducts the blind into the ditch. 
And to this unhappy source may be traced the de- 
generate manners of the present age, the reproach 



TEE PORTRAIT OE ST. PAUL. 13 

under which our holy religion labours, and the en- 
creasing triumphs of infidelity. 

* The natural man, saith St. Paul, receiveth not the 
things of the spirit of God ; for they are foolishness 
unto him ; neither can 'he know them, because they 
are spiritually discerned." Now, if a minister, who 
is destitute of scriptural piety, is counted unable to 
comprehend the doctrines of the Gospel, how much 
less is he able to publish and explain them ? And 
if those, who live according to the vain customs of 
the world, have net the righteousness of the Phari- 
sees, with what propriety can they be called, I will 
not say, true ministers, but even pious deists ? 

Though every candidate for the sacred ministry- 
may not be in circumstances to declare, with St. 
Paul, " I have lived in all good conscience before 
God unto this day :" yet all who aspire to that im- 
portant office, should at least, be able to say with 
sincerity ; " Herein do I exercise myself, to have al- 
ways a conscience void of offence, toward God and 
toward man." Such were the morals and the con- 
duct of a Socrates and an Epictetus : and worship- 
pers like these, " coming from the east and from the 
west," shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, 
" while the children of the kingdom shall be cast out 
into outer darkness." 



TRAIT II. 

HIS CHRISTIAN PIETY. 

IT has been made sufficiently plain, under the 
preceding article, that St. Paul was possessed of a 
good degree of piety from his very infancy. Ha- 
ving been brought up in the fear of God by his fa- 
ther, who is supposed to have been a zealous phari- 
see, he was afterwards instructed at the feet of 

B 



M THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

Gamaliel, a pious doctor of the Law, to whose wis* 
dom and moderation St. Luke has borne an honour- 
able testimony. And so greatly had he profited in 
his youth by these inestimable privileges, that 
" touching the righteousness, which is of the Law, 
lie was blameless." But this piety was not suffi- 
cient under the new Testament. 

To become a christian, and a true minister of the 
Gospel, it is necessary to have, not only the piety of 
a sincere deist, or of a devout Jew, as St. Paul had 
before his conversion, but also those higher degrees 
of piety, which that apostle possessed, after he had 
received the gift of deep repentance toward God and 
living faith in Jesus Christ. The basis of piety, 
among the Jews, was a knowledge of Gcd, as Crea- 
tor, Protector, and He warder : but, in order to have 
christian piety, it is necessary, that to this know- 
ledge of God, as Creator, &c. should be added 
that of God the Redeemer, God the Destroyer of 
ail our evils, God our Saviour; or in other words, 
the knowledge of Jesus Christ. " This is life eter- 
nal, that they -might know Thee, the only true 
God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." 
But who can truly know, I will not say his 
Saviour, but merely his need of a Saviour, without 
first becoming acquainted with his own heart, and re* 
ceiving there a lively impression both of his sin and 
iii s danger r A student in theology, who has not 
yet submitted himself to the maxim of Solon, know 
thyself; and who has never mourned under that 
sense of our natural ignorance and depravity, which 
forced Socrates to confess the want of a divine in- 
structor ;.... a candidate, I say, who is wholly unac- 
quainted with himself, instead of eagerly soliciting 
the imposition of hands, should rather seek after a 
true understanding of the censure, which Christ 
once passed upon the pastor of the Laodiceanchurch : 
" Thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and 
blind, and naked." 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 15 

If a young man steals into the ministry without 
this knowledge, far from being able to preach the 
Gospel, he will not even comprehend that first 
evangelical principle, " Blessed are the poor in spi- 
rit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." And in- 
stead of devoutly offering up to God the prayers 
of an assembled congregation, he will constantly be- 
gin the sacred office by an act of hypocrisy, in say- 
in g.,.. u Almighty Father, we have erred and stray- 
ed from thy ways like lost sheep. We have of- 
fended against thy holy Laws. There is no health 
in us. But Thou O Lord, have mercy upon us, 
miserable sinners." After making these confes- 
sions in public, when he is interrogated in private 
respecting that misery and condemnation, under a 
sense of which he so lately appeared to groan, he 
Will not scruple immediately to contradict, what he 
has so plainly expressed : thus discovering to every 
impartial observer, that when he prays in public, 
he prays, either as a child, who understands not 
what he repeats; or as a deceiver, who appears 
to believe, what he really gives no credit to, and that 
merely for the sake of enjoying the pension of a 
minister, and his rank in society. 

What is here said of ministers, is equally appli- 
cable to christians in general. If anv one dares to 
approach the sacramental table, there lo make k 
profession of being redeemed from eternal death 
by the death of Christ, before he isdeeply humbled 
under a sense of the condemnation due to his sin : 
can such a one be said to perform an act of piety ? 
Is he not rather- engaged in performing an act of 
vain ceremony and presumptuous dissimulation in 
the presence of God , ? The feigned humiliation of 
such a communicant, would resemble that of a re- 
bel subject, who, without any consciousness that 
his actions had merited death, should cast himself, 
from motives of interest, at the feet of his prince, 
and affect to rejoice under a sense of that unc e-erved 



1'6 TBE ffRTRAl'f OF STi PAUL. 

ttemency, which permitted him to live. All our 
professions of faith in Christ are tinctured, more 
or less, vviih hypocrisy ; unless preceded by that 
painful conviction of past errors, whence alone can 
cordially flow those humiliating confessions, with 
which we are accustomed to begin our sacred ser- 
vices. 

The true Christian, and consequently, the true 
minister, is constrained to cry out, with St. Paul, 
when he discovered, the purity of Jehovah's Law 
and the greatness of his own guilt : " The law is 
spiritual," and* demands an obedience correspon- 
dent to its nature ; u but 1 am carnal, sold under 
sin : for what I would, that I do not ; but what I 
hate, that I do. I know, that in me, that is, in my 
flesh, dwelleth no good thing. O wretched man, 
that I am 1 who shall deliver me from the body of 
this death/' 

In this manner the true penitent, weary and 
heavy laden, makes his approaches to the Saviour; 
and while he continues to implore his grace and fa- 
vour, an incomprehensible change takes place in 
his soul. His groans are suddenly turned into songs 
of deliverance, and he is enabled to adopt the tri- 
umphant language of the great apostle 2 "I thank 
God, through Jesus Christ our Lord ; for the law 
of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me 
free from the law of sin and death. There is there- 
fore now no condemnation to them, which are in 
Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after 
the spirit." 

Every true follower of Christ, therefore, and es- 
pecially, every true minister of the Gospel, has re- 
ally experienced the evil of sin, the inability of man 
to free himself from such evil, and the efficacy of that 
remedy, which endued the first christians with so 
extraordinary a degree of purity, power, and joy. 
And in testimony cf the virtue of this sovereign re- 
medy, every such follower ha& a right to declare 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 17 

with his happy predecessors, " We give thanks un- 
to the Father, who hath made us meet to be parta- 
kers of the inheritance of the saints in light : who 
hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and 
hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son ; 
in whom we have redemption through his blood, 
even the forgiveness of sins." 

When a preacher is possessed of christian piety ; 
or in other words, when he has made his peace 
with God, by that deep repentance which enables us 
to die unto sin, and by that living faith which unites 
us to* Christ, he naturally invites the world to em- 
brace a Saviour, who has wrought for him so won- 
derful a deliverance : and this invitation he enforces 
with all that power and warmth, which must ever 
accompany deep sensibility. After having believ- 
ed with the heart to the obtaining of righteous- 
ness, he is prepared to confess with his lips, and to 
testify of his salvation : crying out as sincerely as 
Simeon, but in a sense far more compleat, " Lord, 
now lettest Thou thy servant depart in peace ; for 
according to thy word, mine eyes have seen thy sal- 
vation. " " Here," says Mr. Ostervald, u may be 
" applied, what was spoken by our blessed Lord...." 
" A good man, out of the good treasure of his heart, 
bringeth forth good things," Ct Erasmus speaks the 
" same thing. ..Nihil potentius ad extandos bonos 
" affectus, quam piorum affectuum fontem habere 
M in pectore. Sivisme Here, dolendum est, &c, i. e. 
u following the idea, of the author, You will never 
u win others over to a religious life, unless you 
" yourself are first possessed of piety. This inspires 
" thoughts* dispositions, and words, which nothing 
"else can produce. It is this, that animates the 
" voice, the gesture, and every action of the chris- 
" tian preacher. When he is thus grounded in piety, 
" it is difficult to conceive with what facility, and 
H with what success he labours, still enjoying an un- 
" speakable sweetness in himself. Then it is, that 

8 2 



f& THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

" he is truly sensible of his vocation ; then he speaks 
" in the cause of God, and then only he is in a pro- 
u per situation to affect others. " 

It appeared so necessary to the fathers, who com- 
posed the synod of Berne, that every minister 
should be possessed of solid piety, that they believed 
it impossible for a man to be a good catechist with- 
out it. After recommending it to pastors to explain 
among the youth, the Lord's prayer and the Apos- 
tles' creed, they add : "This will be abundantly 
" mors effectual, if first of all, we are careful that 
" Jesus Christ may arise in our own hearts. The 
" lire, with which we should then be animated, 
" would soon stir up and warm the docile minds of 
" children. Otherwise, that which reason alone 
" draws from books, and is taught by other men, is 
." no more than a human work, and will be ineffec- 
fci tual, till the great master, the Holy Spirit itself, 
" becomes of the party, creating, renewing, and 
44 regenerating to a celestial and eternal life." 



REFLECTIONS 

UPON THE SECOND TRAIT OF THE CHARACTER OF 

ST. PAUL, 

h THE experimental knowledge of our mi- 
sery as sinners, and of our salvation, as sinners re- 
deemed, is the portion of every believer under 
the Gospel. If we are destitute of this two-fold 
.knowledge, we are yet in a state of dangerous igno- 
rance, and are denominated christians in vain : for 
christian humility lias its source in the knowledge 
of our corruption, as christian charity flows from a 
knowledge of the great salvation, which Christ has 
procured for us .• and if these two graces are not re- 
sident in our hearts, our religion is but the shadow 
pf Christianity. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. FAUL. 1$ 

3. As there are some persons, whose physiog- 
noray is strongly marked, and who have something- 
peculiarly striking in the whole turn of their coun- 
tenance ; so there are some, the traits of whose mo- 
ral character are equally striking, and whose conver- 
sion is distinguished by uncommon circumstances. 
Such was the apostle Paul. But a train of won- 
derful eccurrences is by.no means necessary to con- 
version. For example. ...It is not necessary, that ail 
believers should be actually cast to the earth : or 
that groaning beneath the weight of their sins, and 
under the conviction ©f a twofold blindness, they 
should continue in prayer for three days and nights, 
without either eating or drinking. But it is absloute- 
ly necessary, that they should be sensible of an ex- 
treme sorrow for having offended a gracious God ; 
thai they should condemn themselves and their vices 
by an unfeigned repentance ; and that confessing 
the depravity of their whole heart, they should 
abandon themselves to that sincere distress which 
refuses all consolation, except that which is from 
above. Neither is it necessary, that they should 
hear a voice from heaven, that they should see a 
light brighter than the Sun, or behold, in a vision, 
the minister chosen to bring them consolation in the 
name of the Lord Jesus. But it is absolutely ne- 
cessary, that they should hear the w^ord of God, 
that they should be illuminated by the Gospel, and 
receive directions from any messenger sent for their 
relief; until, placing their whole confidence in God 
through a gracious Redeemer, they feel a new and 
heavenly nature produced within them. This sin- 
cere repentance and this living faith, or, which is 
the same thing, this christian piety, is strictly re- 
quired of every believer under the New Testament. 
3. Christian piety constitutes the great difference, 
that is observed between true ministers and unwor- 
thy pastors. The latter preach, chiefly, either in 
order to obtain benefices, or to preserve them ; or, 




20 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

perhaps, to relieve one another in the discharge of 
those duties, which they esteem heavy and painful* 
But the desire of communicating to sinners that 
spiritual knowledge, which is more precious than 
rubies, is the grand motive for preaching with the 
true ministers of God. They publish Christ, like 
St. Paul, from sentiment and inclination ; exposing 
themselves even to persecution on account of preach- 
ing the gospel, like those faithful Evangelists,- who, 
when commanded to teach no more in the name of 
Jesus, answered with equal respect and resolution ; 
" Whether it be right in the sight of God, to hear- 
ken unto you more than unto God, judge ye ; for 
we cannot but speak the things, which we have seen 
and heard. " 

4. It is worthy of observation, that St. Paul sup* 
plicates not only for all public teachers, but for every 
private believer in the church, the highest degree 
of grace and christian experience. u I cease not, ? * 
saith he to the Ephesians, " to make mention of you 
in my prayers ; that the God of our Lord Jesus 
Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the 
spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of 
him : the eyes of your understanding being enlight- 
ened, that ye may know, what is the hope of his 
calling, and what the riches of the glory of his in- 
heritance, in the saints : and what is the exceeding 
greatness of his power to us-ward, who believe/* 
And the same end, which this apostle proposed to 
himself in his private supplications, St. John also 
proposed to himself in writing his public epistles.... 
" That which we have seen and heard declare we 
unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us ; 
and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with 
his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we 
unto you, that your joy may be full." As though 
he had said, we write, if haply we may excite you 
to seek after higher degrees of faith, charity, and 
obedience, " that being rooted and grounded in love, 



tHE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUl. 2! 

ye may be able to comprehend with all saints, the 
love of Christ, which passeth knowledge ; that ye may 
be filled with the all fulness of God." The atten- 
tive reader will easily perceive, that what was once 
the subject of St. Paul's most ardent prayer, is at 
this day considered, by nominal christians in gene- 
ral, as a proper subject for the most pointed rail- 
lery. 

5. Those ministers, who are not yet furnished 
with christian experience, and who are not seeking 
after it, as the pearl of great price, held out to us in 
the Gospel, are not yet truly converted to the chris- 
tian faith : and (I repeat it after Mr. Ostervald) be- 
ing destitute of christian piety, far from being in 
circumstances to preach the Gospel, they are not 
able even to comprehend it. These are they, " who 
having a form of godliness, deny the power there- 
of." And the greatest eulogium, that can be pro- 
nounced upon such characters, is that, with which 
St. Paul honoured the unbelieving zealots of his 
time : " I bear them record, that they have a zeal 
for God ;" but that zeal is unaccompanied with any 
true knowledge, either of man's weakness, or the 
Redeemer's power : " For they, being ignorant of 
God's righteousness, and going* about to establish 
their own righteousness have not submitted them- 
selves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ 
is the end of the Law for righteousness to everyone 
that believeth." 

6. Whoever has not experienced that conviction 
cf sin, and that repentance, which is described by 
St. Paul in the seventh chapter of his epistle to the 
Romans, though, like Nicodemus, he may be a 
doctor in Israel, yet he shall never see the king- 
dom of God. Totally carnal, and satisfied to con- 
tinue so, he neither understands nor desires that 
regeneration, which the Gospel proposes and insists 
upon. Fie endeavours not to fathom the sense of 
those important words : " Verily, verily, I say unto 



22 <?HE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAtJ-t-. 

thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see 
the kingdom of God*" He considers those, who 
are born of the spirit as rank enthusiasts, and dis- 
dains to make any serious enquiry respecting the 
foundation of their hope. If his acquaintance with 
the letter of the scripture did not restrain him, he 
would tauntingly address the artless question of Ni- 
codemus to every minister, who preaches the doo 
trine of regeneration...." How can a man be born, 
when he is old ? Can he enter the second time into 
his mother's womb and be born?'* And unless he 
was withheld by a sense of politeness, he would 
rudely repeat to every zealous follower of St. Paul 
the ungracious expression of Festus...." Thou art 
beside thyself; much" mystic " learning doth make 
thee mad." 

7. On the contrary, a minister, who is distin- 
guished by the second trait of the character ot St. 
Paul, at the same time proportionably possesses every 
disposition necessary to form an evangelical pastor ; 
since it is not possible for christian piety to exist 
without the brilliant light of truth, and the burning 
zeal of charity. And every minister, who has this 
light and this love, is enriched with those two pow- 
erful resources, which enabled the first christians 
to act as citizens of heaven, and the first ministers 
as ambassadors of Christ. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL* $£ 



TRAIT III. 

HIS INTIMATE UNION WITH CHRIST BT FAITH. 

" I AM come," said the goocT shepherd, 
K that my sheep might have life, and that they 
might have it more abundantly. I am the light 
of the world. I am the way, the truth, and the 
life. I am the vine ; yc are the branches." The 
faithful minister understands the signification ©f 
these mysterious expressions. He walks in this 
way, he follows this light, he embraces this truth, 
and enjoys this life in all its rich abundance. Con- 
stantly united to his Lord, by a humble faith* a 
lively hope, and an ardent charity, he is enabled to 
say, with St. Paul ; " The love of Christ constraineth 
me ; because we thus judge that if one died for all 
then were all dead : and that he died for all, that they, 
which live, should not henceforth live unto them- 
selves, but unto him, who died for them, and rose 
again. We are dead, and our life is hid with Christ 
in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall ap- 
pear, then shall we also appear with him in glory. 
For if we have been planted together in the like- 
ness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of 
his resurrection Knowing that Christ, being raised 
from the dead, dieth no more ; but liveth unto God: 
we likewise reckon ourselves to be dead indeed unto 
sin, but alive unto God, through Jesus Christ our 
Lord." 

This living faith is the source, from whence all 
the sanctity of the christian is derived, and all the 
power of the true minister : it is the medium, through 
which that sap of grace and consolation, those streams 
of peace and joy, are perpetually flowing, which 
enrich the believing soul, and make it fruitful in 
every good work : or, to speak without a metaphor, 
from this powerful grace proceeds that love of God 



24 THE PORTRAIT ©F ST. PAUL. 

and man, which influences us to think and act, either 
as members, or as ministers, of Jesus Christ. The 
character of the christian is determined according to 
the strength or weakness of his faith. If the faith 
of St. Paul had been weak or wavering, his portrait 
would have been unworthy of our contemplation : 
he would necessarily have fallen into doubt and dis- 
couragement ; he might probably have sunk into sin, 
as St. Peter plunged into the sea ; he must, sooner 
or later, have lost his spiritual vigor ; and have made 
the same appearance in the church, as those minis- 
ters and christians, who are influenced by the max- 
ims of the world. The effects of faith are still truly 
mysterious, though our Lord has explained them 
in as intelligible a manner, as their nature will 
permit. " He that abideth in me," by a living 
faith, " and in whom I abide," by the light of my 
word and the power of my spirit, " the same bring- 
eth forth much fruit ; for without me ye can do no- 
thing. If any man abide not in me, he is cast forth 
as a branch, and" being " withered, is cast into the 
fire and burned. Herein is my father glorified, that," 
united to me as the branches to the vine, " ye bear 
much fruit ; so shall ye be my disciples." 

Penetrated with these great truths, and daily 
cleaving more firmly to his living head, the true 
minister expresses what the natural man cannot re- 
ceive, and what few pastors of the present age are 
able to comprehend, though St. Paul net only expe- 
rienced it in his own heart, but openly declares it in 
the following remarkable passage : " I am crucified 
with Christ : nevertheless, I live ; yet, not I, but 
Christ liveth in me : and the life, which I now live 
in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God a 
who loved me, and gave himself for me»" 



THE PORTRAIT OF 5T. PAUL. <%$ 



TRAIT IV. 

HIS EXTRAORDINARY VOCATION TO THE HOLY MI- 
NISTRY, AND IN WHAT TK AT MINI STR Y CHI EFLY 
CONSISTS. 

EVERY professor of Christianity is acquaint- 
ed with the honour, which our Lord conferred upon 
the apostle Paul, in not only calling him to a par- 
ticipation of the. christian faith, but by appointing 
him also to publish the everlasting Gospel. A just 
sense of this double honour penetrated the heart of 
that apostle with the most lively gratitude ...." I give 
thanks," saith he, "to Christ Jesus our Lord, for that 
he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry ; 
who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and 
injurious. But I obtained mercy because I did it 
ignorantly in unbelief : and the grace of our Lord 
was exceeding abundant in me, with faith and love, 
which is in Christ Jesus. Howbeit, for this cause 
I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might 
shew forth all long-suffering, for a pattern to them, 
which should hereafter believe on him to everlasting 
life." The evangelical ministry to which St. Paul 
was immediately called, is in general the same, 
through every age enlightened by the Gospel, and 
consists in publishing the truth after such a manner, 
that the wicked may be converted, and the faithful 
edified* The commission which the great apostle re- 
ceived from Christ, contains, essentially, nothing 
more than the acknowledged duty of every minister 
of the Gospel. Leave out themiraculous appearance 
of our Lord ; pass over the circumstance of a com- 
mission given in an extraordinary manner ; substi- 
tute the word sinners for that of gentiles, and instead 
of Jews, read hypocritical professors ; and you 
will perceive, that, with these immaterial alterations, 
the commission of St. Paul is the commission of 



26 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

every faithful minister in the church. Observe the te- 
nor of it. In person, or by my ambassadors, in a man- 
ner either extraordinary, or ordinary, " I appoint thee 
a minister, and a witness of those things which thou 
hast seen," or experienced, u and of those things, 
in the which I will appear to thee ; and I will deliver 
thee from the hands of the people, and from the gen- 
tiles," i. e. from the hands of hypocritical professors, 
and from ignorant sinners, " unto whom I now send 
thee, to open their eyes, and to turn them from the 
darkness of error, to the light of truth, and from 
the power of Satan to God." i, e. from sin, which 
is the image of Satan, to holiness, which is the image 
of God, " that they may receive forgiveness of sins, 
and an inheritance among them, which are sanctifi- 
ed, by faith that is in me." Such was the office 
to which St. Paul was appointed, more especially 
anions the gentile nations ; and such, without doubt, 
is the office of every pastor, at least, within the 
limits of his particular parish. As for taking the 
ecclesiastical habit, reading over some pages of a li- 
turgyisolemnizing marriages, baptizing infants,kcep* 
iisg registers, and receiving stipends, these things 
axe merely accidental : and every minister should 
be able to say with St. Paul, " Christ sent me not, 
principally, " to baptize, but to preach the Gospel." 
It is evident from various passages in the differ- 
ent offices of our church, that our pious reformers 
were unanimously pf opinion, that Christ himself ap- 
points, and, in some sort, inspires all true pastors; that 
He commits the flock to their keeping, and that their 
principal care is the same with that of the first evan- 
gelists, namely, « the conversion of souls." And 
truly, the same Lord, who appointed his disciples as 
apostles, or occular witnesses of his resurrection, has 
also appointed others as pastors, or witnesses of a 
secondary order, and suffragans of the first evange- 
lists. If the witnesses of a higher order were per- 
mined to &ee Christ after his resurrection, those of 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 27 

a secondary order have felt the efficacy of his re- 
surrection, " being raised together with him," or 
regenerated through the reception of a "lively hope, 
by the rising again of Christ from the dead. So 
that every true minister, who bears his4estimony to 
the truths of the Gospel, whether it be from the pul- 
pit, or before tribunals, is supported by his own 
particular experience of Christ's resurrection, as 
well as by a conviction founded upon the depositions 
of the first witnesses. Now this conviction, and 
this experience, are by no means confined to the minis- 
tering servants of God ; but the hearts of the faith- 
ful, in their several generations, have been influenc- 
ed by them both ; if it be true, that they have con- 
stantly stood prepared, to seal with their blood these 
two important truths, Jesus Christ " died for our 
sins, and rose again for our justification." Millions 
of the laity have been called to give this last proof 
of their faith, and, beyond all doubt, it is abundant- 
ly more difficult to bear testimony of the truth upon 
a scaffold, than from a pulpit. 

If St. Paul and the other apostles are considered 
as persons of a rank far superior to ours, they them- 
selves cry out,-" O sirs ! we also are men of like 
passions with you*" If it be said, that God inspired 
the apostles with all the wisdom and zeal necessary 
to fulfil the duties of their high vocation ; it may be 
replied, that our churches implore for their establish- 
ed pastors the same wisdom and zeal, grounding 
such prayers upon the authority of many plain pas- 
sages of Holy Scripture. " Now unto him, that is 
able to do exceeding abundantly above all, that we 
ask or think, according to the power that worketh in 
us, unto him be glory in the church, by Christ Je- 
sus, throughout all ages, world without end." 

Moreover, it is an error to suppose, that the 
apostles needed no augmentation of that divine light, 
by which spiritual objects are discerned. St* Paul 
who was favoured with an extraordinary inspiration, 



28 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. FAUL. 

and that sufficient to compose sacred books, in which 
infallibility is to be found, writes thus to believers : 
Now we see through a glass darkly ; but then face 
to face. Now I know in part ; but then shall I know, 
even as also I am known. An humble, but happy 
confession I which, on the one hand, will not suffer 
us to be discouraged, when we are most sensible of 
our inadequate light, and teaches us, on the other, 
how necessary it is to make incessant application to 
the Father of lights : equally guarding us against the 
pride of some, who imagine themselves to have ap- 
prehended all the truth ; and the wilful ignorance 
of others, who pronounce spiritual knowledge to be 
altogether unattainable. 

Now if the apostle Paul could but imperfectly dis- 
cern the depths of evangelical truth, and if angels 
themselves " desire to look into these things ;" who 
can sufficiently wonder at the presumption of those 
men, who are so far persuaded of their own infalli- 
bility, that they regard all truths, which they ate un- 
able to fathom, as the mere reveries of fanaticism ? 
But, turning our eyes, at present, from the perni- 
cious error of these self-exalted christians, let us 
consider a subject, in which we are more interested, 
than in the extraordinary vocation of St. Paul to the 
holy ministry. 



REFLECTIONS 

UPON THE ORDINARY VOCATION TO THE HOLY MIN- 
ISTRY. 

" THE harvest truly is plenteous, but the la- 
bourers are few: pray ye, therefore, the Lord of the 
harvest, that He will send forth labourers into his har- 
vest." Regaining in memory these remarkable words 
of our Lord, the conscientious man is incapable of 
thrusting himself into the holy ministry, without be- 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 2§ 

ing first duly called thereto by the Lord of the har- 
vest, the great " Shepherd and Bishop of souls." 

The minister of the present age is not ordinarily 
called to the holy ministry, except by carnal mo- 
tives, such as his own vanity, or his peculiar taste 
for a tranquil and indolent life. Perhaps his voca- 
tion to the ministry is principally from his father or 
mother, who have determined, that their son shall 
enter into holy orders. Very frequently, if the can- 
didate for holy orders had sincerity enough to dis- 
cover the real inclination of his heart, he might 
make his submissions to the dignitaries of our church, 
and say ; " Put me, I pray you, into one of the priest's 
offices that I may eat a piece of bread." 

It is not thus with the real believer, who conse- 
crates himself to the holy ministry. He is not ig- 
norant, that " Christ glorified not himself to be made 
ail high priest :" and he is perfectly assured, that no 
man has a right to take upon himself the sacerdotal 
dignity, " but he that is called of God," either in an 
extraordinary manner, as Aaron and St. Paul, or, at 
least, in an ordinary manner, as Apollo s and Timo- 
thy. As it is a matter of the utmost importance, to 
understand by what tokens this ordinary vocation to 
the holy minsitry may be discovered, the following 
reflections upon so interesting a subject may not e 
altogether superfluous. 

If a young man of virtuous manners is deeply pene- 
trated with this humiliating truth...." All have sinned 
and come short of the glory of God." If, further, he 
is effectually convinced of this consolatory truth.... 
" God so loved the world, that he gave his only-be- 
gotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should 
not perish but have everlasting life." If his natural ta- 
lents have been strengthened by a liberal education ; 
if the pleasure of doing good is sweeter to him than 
all the pleasures of sense ; if the hope of " convert- 
ing sinners from the error of their way," occupies 
his mind more agreeably than the idea of acquiring 

c 2 



oU THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

all the advantages of fortune ; if the honour of pub- 
lishing the Gospel is superior, in his eyes, to the- 
honour of becoming the ambassador of an earthly 
prince : In short, if by a desire, which springs from 
the fear of God, the love of Christ, and the concern 
he takes in the salvation of his neighbour, he is led to 
consecrate himself to the holy ministry ; if, in the or- 
der of providence, outward circumstances concur 
with his own designs ; and if he solicits the grace 
and assistance of God with greater eagerness than 
he seeks the outward vocation from his superiors in 
the church by the imposition of hands ; he may 
then satisfy himself, that the great High-Priest of the 
christian, profession has set him apart for the high 
office to which he aspires. 

When, after serious examination, any student in 
theology discovers in himself the necessary disposi- 
tions mentioned above ; then, having received im- 
position of hands, with faith and humility, from the 
pastors, who preside in the church, he may solidly 
conclude, that he has been favoured with the ordinary 
vocation. Hence, looking up to the source of the im- 
portant office, with which he is honoured, he can adopt 
with propriety the language of St. Paul : " I thank 
Christ Jesus, our Lord, for that he hath counted mp 
faithful,puuingrneinto the ministry. Though I preach 
the gospel, I have nothing to glory of ; for necessity 
is laid upon me, yea, v, oe is unto me if I preach not 
the Gospel :" for then I should be found unfaithful 
to my vocation. " God was in Christ reconciling 
the world unto himself, and hath committed unto us 
the word of reconciliation. Now then we are am- 
bassadors for Christ." And, if he becomes not 
like that " wicked and slothful servant, who refused 
to administer to the necessities of his master's hous- 
hol*, he will be able at all times to say : u There- 
fore, seei&g we have this ministry, as we have re- 
ceived iVicrcy, we faint not ; but have renounced the 
kiuden things of dishonesty, not walking in craiu- 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 51 

ness nor handling the word of God deceitfully-) but 
by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves 
to every man's conscience in the sight of God." 

A person of this description, searching the depths 
of the human heart, of which he has acquired a com- 
petent knowledge by the study of his own, meditat- 
ing: with attention upon the proofs, and with hu- 
mility upon the mysteries of our holy religion, giv- 
ing himself up to the. study of divine things, and 
above all, to prayer and to good works ; such a pas- 
tor may reasonably hope to grow in grace and in 
the knowledge of that powerful Saviour, whom he 
earnestly proclaims to others. Xor is it probable 
that such a one will labour altogether in vain. Gra- 
dually instructed in the things, which concern the 
kingdom of God, he will become like the father of a 
family, bringing forth out of his treasures things new 
and old : and whether he speaks of the old man, the 
earthly nature, which he has put off with such ex- 
treme pain, or the new man, the heavenly nature, 
which he has put on with equal joy, he will speak 
with a conviction so powerful, and a persuasion so 
constraining, that the careless must necessarily be 
sdarmed, and the faithful encouraged. 



TRAIT V. 

HIS ENTIRE DEVOTION TO JESUS CHRIST. 

THE true christian called to become a disci- 
ple of the blessed Jesus, rather than refuse the offer- 
ed privilege, renounces his all. If this tojken of de- 
votion to Christ is discernible in the character of eve- 
ry true christian, it is still more conspicuous in the 
character of every true minister. Such a person, 
inwardly called by the grace of God to a state of dis- 



52 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

cipleship with Christ, and outwardly consecrated t© 
such a state by the imposition of hands, gives him- 
self unreservedly up to the service of his condescend- 
ing master- He withstands no longer that perma- 
nent command of our exalted Lord, to which his 
first disciples shewed so cheerful a submission, 
Follow me- Nor is he discouraged, while Christ 
continues, " If any man will come after me, let him 
deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. No 
man having put his hand to the plough, and looking 
back, is fit for the kingdom of God. He, that loveth 
father and mother, son or daughter, more than me, 
is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall 
lose it : and he that loseth his life, for my sake shall 
find it." If there be found any pastor who cannot 
adopt the solemn appeal of the first ministers of 
Christ, « Lo we have left all and followed Thee," 
that man is in no situation to copy the example of 
his forerunners in the christian church, and is altoge- 
ther unworthy the character he bears : since with- 
out this detachment from the world, and this devo- 
tion to the Son of God, he flatters himself in vain, 
that he is either a true minister, or a real member, 
©f Jesus Christ. 

Observe the declaration of one, whose attachment 
to his divine master deserves to be had in everlasting 
remembrance : " Those things which were gain to 
me, I counted loss for Christ. Yea, doubtless, and 
I count all things but loss, for the excellency of the 
knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord ; for whom I 
have suffered the loss of all things, and do count 
them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be 
found in him, having the righteousness which is of 
God by faith. For none of us," true christians or 
true ministers, u liveth to himself, or dieth to him- 
self ;" but " whether we live, we live unto the 
Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord." 

Professing to be, either a minister, or a believer, 
of the Gospel, without this entire devotion to Jesus 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAULr 33 

Christ, is to live in a state of the most dangerous hy- 
pocrisy ; it is neither more nor less, than saying, 
Lord 1 Lord 1 without having a firm resolution to 
do, what our gracious master has commanded. 



TRAIT VI. 

BIS STRENGTH AXD HIS ARMS, 

THE ministers of the present age are fur- 
nished in a manner suitable to their design. As they 
are more desirous to please than to convert their 
hearers, so they are peculiarly anxious to embellish 
the inventions of a seducing imagination*. They are 
continually seeking after the beauty of metaphors, 
the brilliancy of antithesis, the delicacy of descrip- 
tion, the just arrangement of words, the aptness of 
gesture, the modulations of voice, and every other 
studied ornament of artificial eloquence. While the 
true minister, effectually convinced of the excellence 
of the Gospel, relies alone, for the effect of his pub* 
lie ministry, upon the force of truth, and the assist- 
ance of his divine master. 

Observe the manner in which St. Paul expresses 
himself upon this subject ; " We having the same 
spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, 
and therefore have I spoken ; we also believe, and 
therefore speak. And I, brethren, came not with 
excellency of speech, or of wisdom, declaring unt© 
you the testimony of God : for I determined not to 
know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and 
him crucified. And my speech and my preaching 
was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but 
in demonstration of the Spirit, and of power : that 
your faith should not standi in the wisdom of men, 
but in the power of God. For the weapons of our 



34 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUf£. 

warfare are not carnal, but mighty, through God, 
to the pulling down of strong holds : casting down 
imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth it- 
self against the knowledge of God, and bringing in- 
to captivity every thought to the obedience of 
Christ*" 

The true minister, following the example of St* 
Paul, after having experienced the power of these 
victorious arms, exhorts every soldier of Christ to 
provide himself with the same spiritual weapons. 
" Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and 
in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour 
of God, that ye may be able to stand. For we wres- 
tle not merely against flesh and blood, but against 
principalities, against powers, against the rulers of 
the darkness of this world, against spiritual wicked- 
ness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the 
whole armour of God, that ye may be able to with- 
stand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 
Stand, therefore, having your loins girt about with 
truth, having on the breast-plate of righteousness, 
and your feet shod with the preparation of the 
Gospel of peace : above all, taking, the shield of 
faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all 
the fiery darts of the wicked* And take the helmet 
of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which 
is the word of God." And, that you may per- 
form heroical service with these arms, " pray 
always with all prayer and supplication in the 
spirit*" 

So long as the faithful minister, or servant, of 
Christ wears and wields these scriptural arms, 
he will be tinily invincible. But no man can gird 
himself with these invisible weapons, except he be 
born of the Spirit ; nor can any christian soldier em- 
ploy them to good purpose, unless he be first 
endued with all that divine power, which flows 
from the love of God and man : he must feel, 
at least, seme sparks of that fire of charity, which 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 35 

warmed the bosom of St. Paul, whenhe cried out..., 
k * Whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God : or 
whether we be sober, it is for your cause. For the 
love of Christ" and of souls " constraineth us." 

" From the time, that the eyes jof St. Paul 
" were opened to a perception of the Gospel," 
says Mons. Romilly, pastor of a church in Ge- 
neva, " we find him no longer the same per- 
son. He is another man, he is a new crea- 
ture, who thinks no more but on Gospel truths ; 
who hears nothing, who breathes nothing but the 
Gospel ; who speaks on no other subject, who at- 
tends to no other thing but the voice of the Gos- 
pel ; who desires all the world to attend with him 
to the same voice, and wishes to communicate his 
transports to all mankind. From this happy pe- 
riod, neither the prejudices of flesh and bleod, nei- 
ther respect to man, nor the fear of death, nor 
any other consideration is able to withstand him 
in his course. He moves on with serenity in a 
path sown thick with reproaches and pain. What 
has he to fear, he despises the maxima of the 
world, nay the world itself ; its hatred as well as 
its favour, its joys as well as its sorrows, its mean- 
ness as well as its pomp. Time is no longer an 
object with him, nor is his economy regulated by 
it. He is superior to every thing ; he is immortal. 
Though the universe arms itself against him, 
though hell opens its abysses, though affliction 
assaults him on every side, he stands immoveable 
in every storm, looking with contempt upon 
death, conscious that he can never die. Supe- 
rior to all his enemies, he resists their united at- 
tempts with the arms of the Gospel, opposing to 
time and hell, eternity and heaven." 



36 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 



TRAIT VII. 

HIS POWER TO BIND, TO LOOSE, AND TO BLESS, IN 
THE NAME OF THE LORD. 

THE armour of God, described in the pre- 
ceding article, is common to all christians : but the 
true minister is girded with weapons of a peculiar 
temper. As a christian his sword is the word of 
God in general ; but, as a minister, it is especially 
those parts of the Gospel, by which he is invested 
with authority to preach the word of God, and to 
perform the functions of an ambassador of Jesus 
Christ. " Go," said our blessed Master to his first 
disciples, " and preach the Gospel to every crea- 
ture. He, that believeth" my doctrine " shall be 
saved : but he that believeth not, shall be damned. 
All power is given unto me in Heaven and in earth. 
Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing 
them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, 
and of the Holy Ghost ; teaching them to observe 
all things, whatsoever I have commanded you. 
And lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end 
of the world. Verily? verily I say unto you, he, 
that receiveth whomsoever I send, receiveth me ; 
and he, that receiveth me, receiveth Him that sent 
me. Verily I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall 
bind on earth, shall be bound in Heaven ; and 
whatsoever ye shall loose on earth," according to the 
spirit of my Gospel, " shall be loosed in Heaven." 
Behold, from whence the ministers of Christ 
have authority to absolve true penitents, and to ex- 
communicate obstinate sinners. An authority, 
which some have called the power of the cler- 
gy ; a power, which unrighteous pastors, so much 
abuse, and which the faithful never presume to ex- 
ercise, but with the utmost solemnity : a power, 
which, nevertheless, belongs to them of divine 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. &7 

right, and which can be denied them with no more 
reason, than they can refuse the sacramental cup to 
the people. Such, at least, is the judgment of ma- 
ny excellent and learned divines, among whom may 
be reckoned Mons. Ostervald, and Mons. Rcques. 
It may however be enquired, with propriety, in this 
place.... Can ecclesiastics be justified instill making 
use of their authority in these respects, unless they 
do it with prudence and impartiality ? And would 
it not become them to exercise the ecclesiastic dis- 
cipline, in an especial manner, upon unworthy pas- 
tors, following the maxim of St, Peter ; " The time 
is come, that judgment must begin at the house of 
God?" 

Invested with the authority, which Christ has con- 
ferred upon him, the true minister is prepared to de- 
nounce the judgments of God against obstinate sin- 
ners, to console the dejected, and to proclaim the 
promises of the Gospel to every sincere believer, 
with an energy unknown to the worldly pastor, and 
with a power, which is accompanied by the seal of 
the living God. Thus, when such a minister clear- 
ly discerns the profound malice of another Elymas, 
he is permitted to say, with the authority of an am- 
bassador of Jesus Christ ; u O full of all subtilty, 
and all mischief, thou child cfthe Devil, thou enemy 
of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert 
the right ways of the Lord ? Behold I the hand 
of the Lord shall be upon thee.' , But the true 
minister is careful never to abuse this awful power. 
" We can do nothing," says St. Paul, " against the 
truth , but for the truth : I write these things being 
absent, lest being present, I should use sharpness, 
according to the power, which the Lord hath given 
me to edification, and not to destruction." The de- 
nunciation of vengeance is to the minister of Christ, 
what the execution of judgment is to the God of love, 
his painful and strange work. 

D 



3S THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

The good pastor, conscious that the ministra- 
tion of mercy exceeds in glory the ministration of 
condemnation, places his chief glory and pleasure 
in spreading abroad the blessings of the new cove- 
nant. He knows, that the promises are yea, and 
amen, in that beneficent Redeemer, who gave the 
following charge to his first missionaries : " Into 
whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to 
this house. And if the son of peace be there, your 
peace shall rest upon him : if not, it shall turn 
to you again." The wishes and prayers of a minis- 
ter, who acts and speaks in conformity to the in- 
tent of this benign charge, really communicates 
the peace and benediction of his gracious master to 
those, who are meet for their reception : and ac- 
cording to the degree of his faith, he can write to 
the faithful of distant churches, with the confidence 
of St. Paul.... I am persuaded that " when I come 
unto you, I shall come in the fulness of the bless- 
ing of the Gospel of Christ. Whenever he sa- 
lutes his brethren, his pen or his lips become the 
channel of those evangelical wishes, which flow 
from his heart ; " Grace be unto you, and peace, from 
God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. 
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love 
of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost be 
with you all." Thus the true minister approves 
himself a member of the " royal priesthood," a priest 
of the most High, " after the order of Melchisedec," 
who blessed the Patriarch Abraham : or rather, a 
ministering servant of theson of God, who was mani- 
iested in the flesh, that " in him all the families of 
the earth might be blessed." 

Great God! grant that the whole company of 
christian pastors maybe men after thine own heart. 
Leaving to the ignorant those compliments, which a 
slavish dependence has invented, may thy ministers 
perpetually carry about them the love, the gravity, 
and the apostolic authority, which belong to their 



TH£ PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 3% 

sacred character. May all the benedictions, which 
thou hast commissioned them to pronounce, cause 
them still to be received, in every place " as angels 
of God." Far from being despised as hypocrites, 
shunned as troublesome guests, or feared as men of 
a covetous and tyrannical disposition, may that mo- 
ment always be esteemed a happy one, in which 
they enter any man's habitation i and whenever they 
make their appearance upon these charitable occa- 
sions, may those, who compose the family, each 
seeking to give the first salute, cry out..,." How 
beautiful are the feet of them, that preach the Gos- 
pel of peace." 

The power of pronouncing exhortations and 
blessings is not the exclusive privilege of pastors, 
but belongs to all experienced believers. The Pa- 
triarchs had a right to bless their children ; and Ja- 
cob blessed not only his sons and grandsons, but al- 
so the king of Egypt himself. If the followers of 
Christ, then, are deprived of this consolatory power, 
the children of ancient Israel were more highly pri- 
vileged than the members of the christian church, 
who are called, nevertheless, to receive more pre- 
cious benedictions, and to be, as our Lord expresses 
it, « the salt of the earth," and "the light of the 
world." When St. Paul writes to believers : M De- 
sire spiritual gifts ; but rather that ye may prophesy : 
fo? he that prophesieth, speaketh unto men to edifi- 
cation, to exhortation, and comfort :" he doubtless 
excites them to ask of God that overflowing charitv, 
and that patriarchal authority, without which, it 
is impossible for them fully to comply with the fol- 
lowing apostolic injunctions,..." Bless and curse not 
....knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ve 
should inherit a blessing"., ..and, without a high de- 
gree oF which, they cannot sincerely obey those dis- 
tinguished precepts of our blessed Lord...." Love 
your enemies, clo good to them that hate you, and 
pray for them, which despitefully use you and per- 
secute you," 






40 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 



TRAIT VIII. 

THE EARNESTNESS WITH WHICH HE BEGAX, ANJ> 
CONTINUED TO FILL UP THE DUTIES OF HIS VO- 
CATION. 

THE true penitent, having renounced him- 
self for the honor of following his exalted Lord, 
stands faithfully in his own vocation, whether it be 
secular or ecclesiastic. He is prepared, upon all 
occasions, to perform the will of his gracious Mas- 
ter : and if he is commissioned to act as a minister 
of Christ, after furnishing himself with "the whole 
armour of God," he will expose himself, without 
fear, to the most threatening dangers, that he may 
compel sinners to come into the marriage-supper of 
the Lamb. "I rejoice," saith St. Paul, " in my 
sufferings for the body of Christ, which is the 
church, whereof I am made a minister, according 
to the dispensation of God, which is given. to me 
for you, to fulfil the word of God ; even the mys- 
tery, which hath been hid from ages, but which is 
now made manifest to his saints : to whom God 
would make known, what is the riches of the glory 
of this mystery among the gentiles ; which is Christ 
in you, the hope of glory t whom we preach, warn- 
ing every man, and teaching every man in all wis- 
dom, that we may "present every man perfect in 
Christ Jesus ; w T hereunto J also labour, striving ac- 
cording to his working, which worketh in me migh- 
tily. For I would that ye knew what great conflict I 
have for you," and for all those among whom the 
word of God is preached, " that their hearts might 
be comforted, being knit together in love, and un- 
to all riches of the full assurance of understanding 
to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God, and 
cf the Father, and of Christ ; in whom are hid all 
the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 44 

Such are the great ideas, which the Apostle 
Paul entertained of the ministry he had received : 
and observe the assiduity, with which he discharg- 
ed the duties of so important an office. ..." Ye know,'* 
says he, speaking to the pastors, to whom he com- 
mitted the care of one of his flocks, " from the first 
day, that I came into Asia, after what manner I 
have been with you at all seasons, serving the Lord 
with all humility of mind, and with many tears and 
temptations : and how I kept back nothing that was 
profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have 
taught you publicly, and from house to house, tes- 
tifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, re- 
pentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord 
Jesus Christ. Wherefore I take you to record this 
day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. 
For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the 
counsel of God. Take heed therefore unto your- 
selves ; for I know this, that after my departing 
shall grievous wolves" unfaithful pastors " enter in 
among you, not sparing the flock. Therefore watch 
and remember, that by the space of three years I 
ceased net to warn every one night and day with 
tears." In every place he discharged the obliga- 
tions of a minister with the same application and 
zeal, travelling from city to city, and from church 
to church, bearing testimony to " the redemption 
that is in Jesus," and declaring the great truths of 
the Gospel. When the synagogues were shut 
against him, he preached in the schools of philo- 
sophers, upon the sea-shore, on ship-board, and even 
in prisons : and while he dwelt a prisoner in his 
own house at Rome, "he received all, that came in 
unto him, to whom he expounded and testified the 
Kingdom of God, persuading them concerning 
Jesus, both out of the Law of Moses and out of the 
Prophets, from morning till evening." 

Thus the Son of God himself once publicly la- 
boured for the conversion of sinners, sometimes go^ 

» 2 



42 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 



ing through "all Galilee, teaching in their syna- 
gogues, and preaching the Gospel ■;" and at other 
times instructing the multitudes, who either fol- 
lowed him into the fields, or resorted to the house, 
where he lodged : " for there were many coming 
and going, and they had no leisure so much as to 
eat." And when through the pleasure of bringing 
the Samaritans acquainted with spiritual truth, he 
disregarded the necessities of nature, his disciples, 
requesting him to partake of the food they had pre- 
pared, received from him this memorable answer : 
" I have meat to eat, that ye know not of.. ..my meat 
is to do the will of him, that sent me, and to finish 
his work)" that is, to enlighten and save sinners. 

Thus St. Paul was diligently and daily occupied 
in fulfilling the duties of his apostolic vocation i 
and thus every minister of the Gospel is called to 
labour in his appointed sphere. It remains to be 
known, whether all, who do not labour, according 
to their ability, are not condemned by the following 
general rule : a if any will not work, neither should 
he eat :" For these words signify, applied to the pre- 
sent case, that they who will not labour as pastors, 
should by no means be permitted to eat the bread 
of pastors ; an evangelical precept this, which de- 
serves the strictest attention, as the bread of pas- 
tors IB, in some sort, sacred bread, since it is that, 
which the piety of the public has set apart for the 
support of those, who have abandoned every world- 
]v pursuit, that they might dedicate themselves 
freely and fully t* the service of the church. 



TKg PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 43 



TRAIT IX. 

THE MANNER IN WHICH HE DIVIDED HIS TIME BE- 
TWEEN PRATER, PREACHING, AND THANKSGIV- 
ING. 

THE minister of the present age is but sel- 
dom engaged in publishing to his people the truths 
of the Gospel ; and still more rarely in supplicating 
for them the possession of those blessings, which 
the Gospel proposes. It is chiefly before men, that 
he lifts up his hands, and affects to pour out a pray- 
er from the fulness of his heart ; while the true 
minister divides his time between the two important 
and refreshing occupations of preaching and pray- 
er ; by the former, making a public offer of divine 
grace to his hearers, and by the latter, soliciting 
for them in secret the experience of that grace. 
Such was the manner of the blessed Jesus himself, 
who after having reproved his disciples for the low 
degree of their faith, retired either into gardens, or 
upon mountains, praying that their " faith might not 
fail." The good pastor, who constantly imitates 
the example of his divine master, is prepared to 
adopt the following language of St. Paul, in address- 
ing the flock, upon which he is immediately ap- 
pointed to attend : " For this cause 1 bow my knees 
unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom 
the whole family in Heaven and earth is named, 
that he would grant you, according to the riches of 
his glory, to be strengthened with might by his spi- 
rit in the inner man ; that Christ may dwell in your 
hearts by faith ; that ye being rooted and grounded 
in love, may be filled with all the fulness of God. 
And this I pray, that your love may abound yet 
more and more in knowledge, and in all judgment ; 
that ye may approve things, that are excellent; that 
ye may be sincere and without offence till the daj 









44 THE PORTRAIT OF ST* PAUL. 

of Christ ; being filled with the fruits of righte- 
ousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glo- 
ry and praise of God." By prayers like these, the 
Apostle Paul was accustomed to water, without 
ceasing, the heavenly seed, which he had so widely- 
scattered through the vineyard of his Lord, manifest- 
ing an encreasing attachment to those, among whom 
he had at any time published the tidings of salvation, 
and breathing out, in all his epistles to distant 
churches, the most earnest desire, that God would 
fulfil in them u all the good pleasure of his goodness, 
and the work of faith with power ; that the name 
of the Lord Jesus Christ might be glorified in them, 
and they in him." 

Pastors, who pray thus for their flocks, pray not 
in vain. Their fervent petitions are heard : sinners 
are converted, the faithful are edified, and thanks- 
giving is shortly joined to supplication. Thus the 
same apostle.. .. u 1 thank my God always on your be- 
half for the grace of God, which is given you by Je- 
sus Christ ; that in every thing ye are enriched by 
him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge. So that 
ye come behind in no gift, waiting for the coming of 
our Lord Jesus Christ. Having heard of your faith 
in the Lord Jesus, and your love unto all the saints, 
I cease not to give thanks for you." 

Worldly ministers have no experience of the 
holy joy, that accompanies these secret sacrifices 
of praise and thanksgiving. But this can by no 
means be considered, as matter of astonishment- 
Is their attachment to Christ as sincere as that of 
his faithful ministers ? Are they as solicitous for 
the salvation of their hearers ? Do they teach and 
preach with equal zeal ? Do they pray with the same 
ardour and perseverance ? 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 45 



TRAIT X. 

THE FIDELITY, WITH WHICH HE ANNOUNCED THE 
SEVERE THREATENINGS, AND CONSOLATORY 
PROMISES OF THE GOSPEL. 

THE worldly minister has neither the cou- 
rage, nor the tenderness of the true pastor. He 
is fearful of publishing those truths, which arc 
calculated to alarm the careless sinner ; and he 
knows not, in what manner to apply the promises of 
the Gospel, for the relief of those, who mourn. If 
ever he attempts to descant upon the consolatory 
truths of the Gospel, he only labours to explain, 
what is nearly unintelligible to himself ; and all his 
discourses on subjects of this nature are void of 
that earnest persuasion, and that unction of love, 
which characterize the ministers of Christ. On 
the other hand, his dread of giving offence will not 
suffer him to address sinners of every rank, with the 
holy boldness of the Prophet Samuel : If ye will 
not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against 
the commandment of the Lord, then shall the hand 
of the Lord be against you. If ye still do wickedly, 
ye shall be consumed." The faithful pastor, on 
the contrary, conscious that the harshest truths of 
the Gospel are as necessary, as they are offensive, 
courageously insits upon them, in the manner cf St. 
Paul...." Thinkest thou, O man, that dost such 
things, that thou shalt escape the judgment of 
God:" Know this, that •* after thy hardness and 
impenitent heart thou treasurest up unto thyself 
wrath against the day of wrath, and revelation cf 
the righteous judgment of God: for indignation 
and wrath, tribulation and anguish shall be upon 
every soul of man. that doeth evil. If every trans- 
gression" under the first covenant " received a just 
recompense of reward, how shall we escape it we 



46 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

neglect so great salvation, which at the first began 
to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto 
us by them, that heard him. This ye know, that 
no unclean person, nor covetous man hath any in- 
heritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God : let 
no man deceive you with vain words ; for because 
of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the 
children of disobedience. See that ye refuse not 
him that speaketh : for if they escaped not, who re- 
fused him, that spake on earth," viz. the prophet 
Moses ; " much more shall not we escape, if we 
turn away from him, that speaketh from Heaven," 
viz. The Saviour Jesus Christ. " Wherefore let us 
serve Gocl acceptably, with reverence and godly 
fear : for our God is a consuming fire." 

But though the true minister courageously an- 
nounces the most severe declarations of the word to 
the unbelieving and the impenitent ; yet he is never 
so truly happy, as when he invites the poor in spirit 
to draw forth the riches of grace from the treasury 
of God's everlasting love. " God hath not," saith 
St. Paul, " appointed us to wrath ; but to obtain 
salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ. This is a 
faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that 
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. 
Ye are not come unto the mount, that burned with 
fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest. 
But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city 
of the living God, and to Jesus, the Mediator of the 
new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that 
speaketh better things than that of Abel. Having 
therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the ho- 
liest by the blood of Jesus, and having an High 
Priest over the House of God, let us draw near with 
a true heart, in full assurance of faith. If, when 
we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the 
death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we 
shall be saved by his life. He, that spared not his 
own Soil, but delivered him up for us all, how shall 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 



47 



he not with him also freely give us all things ? Who 
shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect ? It 
is God that justifieth : who is he, that condemn- 
eth ? It is Christ that died, yea, rather that is risen 
again, who is even at the right hand of- God, who 
also maketh intercession for us." 

When these exhilarating declarations are found 
insufficient " to revive the hearts of the contrite, the 
evangelical preacher fails not to multiply them, in 
the most sympathizing and affectionate manner. 
U I say unto you,'* continues he, u all manner of sin 
and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men : for the 
blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin. And 
by him all, who believe, are justified from all things, 
from which ye could not be justified by the law of 
Moses, There is therefore now no condemnation to 
them, which are in Christ Jesus : for where sin 
abounded, grace did much more abound." 

Such are the cordials, which the faithful evan- 
gelist administers to those, who are weary and heavy 
laden : precious cordials, which the worldly pastor 
can never effectually apply ; which he either em- 
ploys out of season, or renders useless by such ad- 
ditions of his own, as are contrary to the spirit of the 
Gospel. 



TRAIT XL 



HIS PROFOUND HUMILITY. 

THERE is no evil disposition of the heart, 
with which the clergy are so frequently reproached, 
as pride. And it is with reason, that we oppose this 
sinful temper, especially when it appears in pastors, 
since it is so entirely contrary to the spirit of the 
Gospel, that the apostle Paul emphatically terms it, 
'* The condemnation of the Devil." 



4£ THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

There is no amiable disposition, which our Lord 
more strongly recommended to his followers, than 
lowliness of mind. From his birth to his death, he 
gave himself a striking example of the most pro- 
found humility, joined to the most ardent charity. 
After having washed the feet of his first disciples, 
i. e. after he had taken the place of a slave at their 
feet, he addressed them as follows...." Know ye, 
what I have done unto you ? Ye call me Master, and 
Lord : and ye say well : for so I am. If I then, 
your Lord and Master, have washed your feet ; yc 
also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have 
given you an example, that ye should do as I have 
done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, the 
servant is not greater than his Lord : neither he, 
that is sent, greater than he that sent him." Again he 
says to the same effect.. .." Ye know, that the princes 
of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and 
they, that are great, exercise authority upon them. 
But it shall not be so among you : but whosoever 
will be great among you, let him be your minis- 
ter: and whosoever will be chief among you, let him 
be your servant : even as the Son of man came not 
to be ministered unto, but to minister." 

Real Christianity is the school of humble charity, 
in which every true minister can say, with Christ, 
according to his growth in grace, "Learn of me, 
for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find 
rest unto your souls." And unhappy will it be for 
those, who, reversing Christianity, say, by their ex- 
ample, which is more striking than all their dis- 
courses, u Learn of us to be fierce and revengeful, 
at the expence of peace both at home and abroad." 
They, who receive the stipends of ministers, while 
they are thus endeavouring to subvert the religion 
they profess to support, render themselves guilty, 
not only of hypocrisy, but of a species of sacrilege. 

It is supposed, that St. Peter had the pre-emi- 
nence among the apostles, at least by his age : iti$ 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 49 

certain, that he spake in the name of the other apos- 
tles; that he first confessed Christ in two public 
orations ; that our Lord conferred particular favours 
upon him ; that he was permitted to be one of the 
three witnesses of hib Master's transfiguration and 
agony ; and that, on the day of Pentecost, he proved 
the power of his apostolic commission, by intro- 
ducing three thousand souls at once into the king- 
dom of Christ. Far, however, from arrogating, 
upon these accounts, a spiritual supremacy, over his 
brethren, he assumed no other title but that, which 
was given in common to all his fellow labourers in 
the ministry ; " The elders, which are among. you," 
says he, " I exhort, who am also an elder : Fttd 
the flock of God, which is among you, taking the 
oversight thereof, not for filthy lucre, but of a 
ready mind : neither as being lords over God's he- 
ritage, but being ensamples to the flock." A piece 
of advice this, which is too much neglected by those 
prelates, who distinguish themselves from their bre- 
thren, yet more by an antichristian pride, than by 
those ecclesiastical dignities to which they have 
made their way by the intrigues of ambition. 

All pastors should seek after humility with so 
much the greater concern, as seme among them, 
seduced with the desire of distinguishing them- 
selves as persons of eminence in the church, after 
making certain ecclesiastical laws contrary to the 
word of God, have become persecutors of those, 
who refused submission to their tyrannical authority. 
Observe here the injustice of some modern philo- 
sophers, who misrepresenting the christian religion, 
a religion which breathes nothing but humility and 
love, set it forth as the cause of all the divisions, 
persecutions, and massacres, which have ever been 
fomented or prepetrated by its corrupt professors. 
Disasters, which, far from being the produce of real 
Christianity, have their principal source in the vices 

E 



50 T<HE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

of a supercilious, uncharitable, and antichristiar* 
clergy. 

The church will always be exposed to these im- 
putations, till every ecclesiastic shall imitate St. 
Paul, as he imitated Christ* That apostle, ever 
anxious to tread in the steps of his divine Master, 
was peculiarly distinguished by his humility to 
God and man. Ever ready to confess his own 
native poverty, and to magnify the riches of grace, 
he cries out...." Who is sufficient for these things ?" 
who is properly qualified to discharge all the func- 
tions of the holy ministry ' " Such trust have we 
through Christ to God-ward : not that we are suffi- 
cient of ourselves to think any thing as of our- 
selves ; but our sufficiency is of God, who also hath 
made us able ministers of the new Testament ; not 
of the letter, but of the spirit ; for the letter killeth, 
but the spirit giveth life. Who is Paul, and who 
is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye- believed, even 
as the Lord gave to every man ? I have planted, 
Apollos watered :. but God gave the increase. So 
then, neither is he that planteth any thing, neither 
he that watereth i but God that giveth the increase. 
I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to 
be called an apostle ; but by the grace of "God I am 
what 1 am. God hath shined in our hearts to give 
the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, in 
the face of Jesus Christ ; but we have this treasure 
in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power 
may be of God, and not of us." 

If the humility of St. Paul is strikingly evident 
in these remarkable passages, it is still more strongly 
expressed in those that follow. " Ye see, brethren, 
that not many wise men after the flesh, not many 
mighty, not many noble are called. But God hath 
chosen the foolish things of the world to confound 
the wise, and the weak things of the world to con- 
found the things which are mighty ; and base things 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 51 

©f the world, and things, which are despised hath 
God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring 
to naught things, that are: that no 3esh should 
glory in his presence* Unto me, who am less than 
the least of all saints, who am nothing, who am the 
chief of sinners, is this grace given, that I should 
preach the nusearchable riches of Christ. " 

Reader, if thou hast that opinion of thyself, which 
is expressed in the foregoing passages, thou art an 
humble christian. Thou canst truly profess thyself 
the servant of all those who salute thee ; thou art 
such already by thy charitable intentions, and art 
seeking occasions of demonstrating, by actual ser- 
vices, that thy tongue is the organ, not of an insi- 
dious politeness, but of a sincere heart. Like a 
true disciple of Christ, who concealed himself, 
when the multitude would have raised him to a 
throne, and who presented himself, when they came 
to drag him to his cross, thou hast a sacred plea- 
sure in humbling thyself before God and man, and 
art anxious, without hypocrisy or affectation, to take 
the lowest place among thy brethren* 

The humble christian, convinced of his wants 
and his weakness, feels it impossible to act like tho-e 
proud and bashful poor, who will rather perish in 
their distress, than solicit the assistance of their 
brethren. St. Paul had nothing of this false modes- 
ty about him. Penetrated with a deep sense of his 
own un worthiness and insufficiency, after implor- 
ing for himself the gracious assistance of God, he 
thus humbly solicits the prayers of ail the faithful : 
u Brethren, pray for us. I beseech you, brethren, 
for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love 
of the Spirit, that ye strive together in your pray- 
ers for me. Pray always for all saints; and for me, 
that utterance may be given me, that I may open 
my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery el 
the Gospel, for which I am an ambassador in 
bonds : that therein 1 may speak boldly as I our^e 



/ 

52 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

to speak : You also" continuing " to help by prayer 
for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us by the 
means of many persons, thanks may be given on our 
behalf." 

Thus fcumtlity, or poverty of spirit, which is set 
forth by Christ as the first beatitude, leads us, by 
prayer, to all the benedictions of the Gospel, and 
to that lively gratitude, which gives birth to thanks- 
giving and joy. Lovely humility ! penetrate the 
hearts of all christians, animate every pastor, give 
peace to the church, and happiness to the universe. 



TRAIT XII. 

THE INGENUOUS MANNER, IN WHICH HE ACKNOW- 
LEDGED AND REPAIRED HIS ERRORS. 

IT is difficult for a proud man to confess him- 
self in an error : but they, who are possessed of 
humility and love, can make such acknowledgments 
with cheerfulness. When St. Paul was called 
upon to justify his conduct before the tribunal of the 
Jews, the same spirit of resentment which animated 
his persecutors, suddenly seized upon the more 
passionate of his judges, when the High Priest, 
still more exasperated than the rest, commanded 
those, who stood near Paul " to smite him on the 
mouth."' It was in that moment of surprize and 
indignation, that the apostle, unacquainted with the 
author of so indecent a proceeding, and not imagin- 
ing, that the president of an august assembly could 
so far forget his own dignity, as to act with so re- 
prehensible an impetuosity, gave this sharp reply to 
so unjust an order ; " God shall smite thee, thou 
whited wall : for sittest thou to judge me after the 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST, PA'JL. 5j 

Law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary 
to the Law I" Immediately those, who stood by, re- 
proaching him with his apparent disrespectful car- 
riage, inquired with the utmost indignation, " Re- 
vilest thou God's high Preistl" Here tfie apostle 
far from justifying his own conduct, in resenting 
the severity of a judge, who had degraded himself by 
an act of the most flagrant injustice, immediately 
acknowledged his error : and lest the example he 
had given should encourage any person to withhold 
the respect due to a magistrate, still more respecta- 
ble by his office than blameable by his rigorous pro- 
ceedings, he endeavoured to make instant repara- 
tion for his involuntary offence by citing a pertinent 
passage from the law, answering with all meek- 
ness ; u I wist not, brethren, that he was the high 
Priest : for it is written, Thou shall not speak evil 
of the ruler of thy people." 

There is another instance of the indiscretion and 
candour of this Apostle. Paul and Barnabas going 
forth to publish the Gospel, took for their compa- 
nion John Mark, the nephew of Barnabas. That 
young evangelist, however, staggered by the dangers, 
which those apostles were constantly obliged to en- 
counter, forsook them in Paraphilia in the midst of 
their painful labours. But afterwards, repenting of 
his former irresolution, he offered to accompany 
them in another journey. Barnabas, who had cha- 
rity enough to hope all things of his nephew, 
wished to afford him a second trial : while Paul, 
whose prudence taught him to fear every thing frc 
a young man, who had already given an indisputable 
proof of his inconsistancy, refused his consent. At 
length the two Apostles, unable to decide the mat- 
ter to their mutual satisfaction, took the resolution 
of separating one from another- Paul went to preach 
the Gospel in Syria with Silas; while Barnabas, 
accompanied by his nephew, proceeded to proclaim 
Christ in the isle of Cyprus. Thus the *€ 

£ 2 



54 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 



of true christians without producing any schism in 
the church, frequently tend to the propagation of 
the Gospel. 

Time alone could determine, whether Barnabas 
was deceived by an abundance of charity, or St. Paul 
through an excess of prudence. The event turned 
the balance in favour of the judgment of Barnabas : 
the conduct of John Mark on this second mission 
was irreproachable. From that time St. Paul with 
hisusual candour, forgetting the former instability of 
Mark, placed the utmost confidence in him, received 
him with joy as the companion of his labours, re- 
voked the order he had formerly given respecting 
him, and recommended him to the churches as a 
faithful minister.- Thus much may be inferred 
from the following passage in his epistle to theColos- 
sians : u Aristarchus my fellow-prisoner salluteth 
you, and Marcus, sister's son to Barnabas, touching 
whom ye received commandments ; if he come unto 
you, receive him." 

Thus the sincere followers of Christ are ever 
anxious to repair their involuntary faults : faults 
which we, as well as the apostles, are always exposed 
to the commission of, and which should constrain 
us to say, with St. Paul : Now we know things and 
persons in part. This imperfection in our know- 
ledge will sometimes produce errors, in our judg- 
ment, and those errors may probably influence our 
conduct. But, if in these failings there is no mixture 
of malice ; if we sin through ignorance, and in the 
integrity of our hearts ; God imputes notto us those 
.errors; provided that we are always prepared, like 
St. Paul, to confess and repair them. To err is 
the lot of humanity : obstinacy in error is the 
character of a Demon : but humbly to acknowledge, 
and anxiously to repair an error, is to exhibit a vir- 
tue more rare and valuable than innocence itself, 
v r-n accompanied with any degree of conceit and 
pride. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 55 

They, who give the portraits of legendary saints, 
generally paint them without a single failing. But 
they, who wish faithfully to imitate the sacred au- 
thors, are obliged to employ shades as well as lights, 
even in their most celebrated pieces. If this part 
of the portrait of St. Paul should not appear brilliant, 
it will serve, at least, to manifest the reality of the 
original, the liberaliiyof the Apostle, and the fkle- 

rjf the painter. 



TRAIT XIII, 

HIS DETESTATION OF PARTY-SPIRIT AND DIVISIONS* 

WHILE the spirit of the world is confessedly 
a spirit of particular interest, pride, and division, the 
spirit of true religion is manifested, among its sin- 
cere professors, as a spirit of concord, humility, and 
brotherly love. The true minister, animated in an 
especial manner by this divine spirit, losing sight 
of his own reputation and honour, is unweariedly 
engaged in seeking the glory pf God, and the edifi- 
cation ol his neighbour. Perfectly satisfied with the 
lowest place, and distinguished as much by conde- 
scension to his brethren as by respect to his superiors, 
he is ever on his guard against that spirit of party, 
which is continually seeking to disturb the union of 
the church, whether it be by too great a fondness 
for particular customs, by an obstinate zeal for any 
system of doctrines, cr by too passionate an attach- 
ment to some eminent teacher. 

Without persecuting those, who are led by so 
dangerous a spirit, the good pastor employs every 
effort to re-unite them under the great Head of he 

irch. Arguing against the folly of those who 
are ready to separate themselves from the company 



56 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

of their brethren, he takes up the language of St, 
Paul* and says : " O foolish christians, who hath 
bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, 
before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently 
set forth, crucified among you ? Are ye so foolish ? 
having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made per- 
fect by the flesh ? Ye have indeed, been called unto 
liberty : only use not liberty as an occasion to the 
flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the 
Law is fulfilled in one word, even in this ; Thou 
shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. But if ye bite 
and devour one another, take heed that ye be not 
consumed one of another. Now the works of the 
flesh are manifest," among which are these, 
" hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, sedi- 
tions and heresies : of the which I tell you before, 
as I have also told you in time past, that they, which 
do such things, shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long- 
suffering, gentleness, faith, meekness, temperance. 
If we live in the Spirit, let us walk in the Spi- 
rit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provok- 
ing one another, envying one another. There is 
one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in 
one hope of your calling ; one Lord, one faith, one 
baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above 
ail, and through all, and in you all. Endeavour," 
therefore, " to keep the unity of the Spirit in the 
bond of peace." 

When the people seek to honour a true minister 
by placing him at the head of any party in the 
church, he refuses the proffered dignity with a 
humble and holy indignation. His soul is con- 
stantly penetrated with those sentiments, under the 
influence of which the apostle Paul thus nobly ex- 
pressed himself : " I seek not mine own profit, but 
the profit of many, that they may be saved. I be- 
seech you, brethen, by the name of our Lord Je- 
sus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL* 57 

that there be no divisions among you j but that ye 
be perfectly joined together in the same mind. For 
it hath been declared unto me* that there are con- 
tentions among you i" and " that every one of you 
saith, I am of Paul, and, I of Apollos, and, I of 
Cephas, and, I of Christ." But, « Is Christ di- 
vided? "was Paul crucified for you? or were ye bap- 
tized in the name of Paul ? Who is Paul but a 
minister by whom ye believed ? Therefore let no 
man glory in men, whether Paul, or Apollos, or 
Cephas ;" but rather in " our Lord Jesus Christ, of 
whom the whole family in Heaven and earth is na- 
med." 

By such exhortations, it is, and by maintaining, 
at the same time, a conduct conformable to the 
nature of such exhortations, that every faithful mi- 
nister endeavours to engage christians of all denomi- 
nations, to walk together " in love, as Christ also 
walked, proving what is acceptable unto the Lord, 
and submitting one to another in the fear of God," 
till the arrival of that promised period, when the 
whole company of the faithful shall be of one heart 
and one mind. 

But after all these exertions, for the extirpation 
of a sectarian spirit from the church,' they, who 
content themselves with the exterior of Christian- 
ity, as the pharisees were contented with the cere- 
monies of the mosaic worship, will, sooner or 
later, accuse every evangelical pastor of attempting 
to form a particular sect. 

When modern pharisees observe the strict 
union, which reigns among true believers, a union, 
which every faithful minister labours to establish 
among his people, as well by example as by precept ; 
when they behold penitent sinners deeply sensible 
of their guilt, and frequently assembling together 
for the purpsse of imploring the blessings of " wis- 
dom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemp- 
tion ;" they immediately take the alarm, and cry 



£8 THE PORTRAIT ©F ST. PAUL. 

out..*." These men does exceedingly trouble our 
city, teaching customs, which are not lawful for us 
to receive, " and maintaing such a conduct as is 
most inconvenient for us to follow. 

Happy are those cities in which the "minister of 
Christ is able to discover a Nicodemus, a Gamaliel, 
or some worshippers possessed of as much candour as 
the Jews of Rome, who desired to hear what the 
persecuted Paul had to offer, in behalf of that newly- 
risen sect, which was every wiiere spoken against. 
Till this amiable candour shall universally prevail 
among the nominal members of the church, true 
Christianity, even in the centre of Christendom, will 
always find perverse contradiction, and sometimts 
cruel persecution. 



j 



TRAIT XIV. 

HIS REJECTION OF PSAISE. 

THE minister of the present day labours 
chiefly with a view to his own advantage and ho- 
nour. He endeavours to please, that he may be 
admired of men. " He loves the chief seats in sy- 
nagogues," public greetings, and honourable titles : 
thus tacitly challenging, by his unreasonable pre- 
tensions to the respect and homage of men, a part 
of that glory, which is due to God alone. 

A totally different character is maintained by 
the true minister. His discourses, his actions, 
his look, his deportment, all agree to say, " Not 
unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name 
give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truths sake." 
If the arm of the Omnipotent enables him to per- 
form any extraordinary work, which the multitude 
,do not immediately refer to, the " Author ©f every 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. <59 

good and perfect gift," he cries out with St. Peter, 
" Why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by 
our own power or holiness" we had performed what 
appears to excite your astonishment ? " The God 
of our fathers hath," upon this occasion, " glorified 
his Son Jesus : and the faith, which is by him," 
hath effected this extraordinary work in the pre- 
sence of you all. On all occasions he can say 
with the great Apostle : " Do I seek to please 
men ? if I yet pleased men," unless for their edifi- 
cation, " I should not be the servant of Christ. With 
me it is a very small thing, that I should be judged 
of you, or of man's judgment. But as we were 
allowed of God to be put in trust with the Gospel, 
even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God, 
who trieth our hearts. Neither at any time used 
we flattering words, as ye know ; nor of men sought 
we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others." By 
such a conduct he distinguishes himself, as a faith- 
ful ambassador of the blessed Jesus, who expressed 
himself in the following lowly terms, to those, who 
had reproached him with a spirit of self-exaltation : 
" I do nothing of myself, but as my father hath 
taught me, I speak these things. I seek not mine 
own glory.; there is one, that seeketh and judgeth. 
If I honour myself, my honour is nothing. It is 
my Father, that honoureth me ; of whom ye say, 
that He is your God. 

There may be peculiar cases, in which a mi- 
nistring servant of God may be allowed to call upon 
christians, for a public testimony of their approba- 
tion ; and when this is refused, he is justified in 
modestly calling their attention to every past proof 
of his integrity and zeal. Thus St. Paul, as a pro- 
per means of maintaining his authority among the 
Corinthians, who had manifested an unjust partial- 
ity toward teachers of a very inferior order, enter- 
ed into a long detail of those revelations and labours, 
which gave him a more than ordinary claim to the 




60 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

respect of every church. But whenever he com- 
mended himself, he did it with the utmost reluc- 
tance, as one constrained by the peculiarity of his 
circumstances to act in immediate contrariety to 
his real disposition. Hence, whenever he recounts 
the particular favours, with which God had ho- 
noured him, he speaks in the third person, as of 
another man : " Of such a one will I glory; yet of 
myself I will not glory, but in mine- infirmities. 
For we dare not make ourselves of the number of 
those, who commend themselves, measuring them- 
selves by themselves," without any reference to 
the excellent graces and endowments of others. 
"'But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. 
For not he, that commendeth himself is approved, 
but whom the Lord commendeth. 

Nothing affords greater satisfaction to false 
apostles than commendation and praise ; while the 
true minister shrinks with horror from those very 
honours, which they assume all the forms of Pro- 
teus to obtain. When the multitude, led by their 
admiration of a faithful preacher, follow him with 
unsuitable expressions of applause, he meets them 
with unfeigned indignation, arrests their impious 
plaudits, and rejects their idolatrous adulations, 
crying out with St. Paul...." Sirs ! why do ye these 
things ? we also are men of like passions with you, 
and preach unto you, that ye should turn from, 
these vanities unto the living God-" We are nei- 
ther the way, the truth, nor the life: but we point 
you to that way, which the truth has discovered, 
and through which eternal life may be obtained, 
entreating you to walk therein with all simplicitly 
and meekness. And remember, that instead of 
a lie c t i n g in our d i s c o u r s e s t h at v ai n w i s d o m , w h i c h 
the world so passionately res, we faithfully 

proclaim Christ: and, to humble us the more be- 
fore God and man, u we preach Christ crucified. " 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 61 

By this humble carnage the ministering disciples 
©f Christ are principally known. By this they 
copy the amiable example of John the baptist, 
who cheerfully humbled himself, that Christ 
might be exalted, crying out in the language 
of that self-renouncing teacher...." Behold the 
Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the 
world ! There standeth one among you, whom 
ye know not, whose shoes latchet we are not wor- 
thy to unloose. We baptize with water: but he 
baptizeth wiih the Holy Ghost." Beware then of 
entertaining too high an idea of our ministry ; 
and remember, that " He must increase" in your 
estimation, " but we must decrease." 

After beholding John the baptist, who was ac- 
counted greater than any of the prophets, abasing 
himself in the presence of Christ ; and after hear- 
ing St. Paul, who was far superior to the Baptist, 
exclaiming in .the humility of his soul.. .." I live 
not ; but Christ liveth in me".. ..how can we suffi- 
ciently express our astonishment at the conduct of 
those titularapostles, who either set up a vain phi- 
losophy in the place of Christ, or employ the cross 
of their Lord, as a kind of pedestal, for the sup- 
port of those splendid monuments, by which their 
pride is endeavouring to perpetuate the memory of 
their eloquence. Self-conceited orators ! When 
shall we rank you with the faithful ministers of the 
humble Jesus ? When shall we behold the charac- 
ter you have assumed, and the conduct you main- 
tain sweetly harmonizing with each other ? When 
shall we hear you addressing your flocks, with the 
unaffected simplicity and condescension of the 
great apostle : " We preach not ourselves, but 
Christ Jesus the Lord; and," far from elevating 
ourselves above you, on account of the commission 
we have received, " ourselves your servants for 
Jesus sake." Then we might with propriety sa- 
lute you, as humble imitators of St. Paul, as z^a- 

F 



62 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

Ions ministersof the Gospel, and as faithful serv- 
ants of that condescending Saviour, who " came 
not to be ministered unto but to minister. 



TRAIT XV 



HIS UNIVERSAL LOVE. 



TRUE christians are distinguished fron$ 
Jews, Mahometans, and all other worshippers, by 
that spirit of universal love, which is the chief or- 
nament and glory of their profession. But among 
evangelical pastors this holy disposition appears in a 
more eminent degree. They feel for the incon- 
siderate, and the sinful, that tender compassion, 
of which Christ has left us an example. Their 
conduct answers to that beautiful description of 
charity, with which St. Paul presented the Corin- 
thian church, and which may be considered as an 
emblematical representation of his own character, 
from the time of his conversion to the christian 
faith. Universal love is that invigorating sap, which, 
passing from the true vine into its several branches, 
renders them fruitful in every good work. But this 
divine principal circulates through chosen ministers, 
with peculiar force, and in more than ordinary abun- 
dance, as so many principal boughs, by which a 
communication is opened between the root and the 
lesser branches. 

The faithful pastor entertains an affecting re- 
membrance of those benevolent expressions, which 
the good Shepherd addressed to the apostle Peter, 
and in the person of that apostle to all his suc- 
cessors in the ministry, repeating them even to the 
thirdtime: u Lowest thou me ? Feed my Sheep." 
As though he had said, the greatest proof you can 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 63 

possibly give of your unfeigned attachment to me, 
is, to cherish the souls, which I have redeemed, 
and to make them the objects of your tenderest re- 
gard. Such is the affectionate precept, which every 
faithful minister has received together with his sa- 
cred commission, and to which he yields a more 
ready and cheerful obedience, from a firm depend- 
ance upon the fallowing solemn declaration of his 
gracious Master,..." When the Son of man shall 
come in his glory, he shall say" to all the children 
of love, " Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have 
done good unto one of the least of these my bre- 
thren," whether their wants were corporeal or spiri- 
tual, " ye have done it unto me'*' 

The love of the evangelical pastor, like that of 
St. Paul, is unbounded. God, saith that charitable 
apostle, w will have all men to be saved, and to come 
unto the knowledge of the truth : I exhort, there- 
fore, that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and 
giving of thanks, be made for all men : for this is 
good and acceptable in the sight of God our Sa- 
viour." But not content with submitting to the ex- 
hortation of St. Paul, with respect to the duty of uni- 
versal prayer, he endeavours to copy the example 
of that apostle, in labouring for the salvation of all 
men : "I am made all things to all men, that I 
might by all means save some." Being by regene- 
ration " a partaker of the divine nature," he bears a 
lovely, though imperfect resemblance to his Hea- 
venly Parent, whose chief perfection is Love. Like 
the High Priest of his profession, he breathes no- 
thing but charity ; and like the Father of lights, he 
makes the sun of beneficence to rise upon all men. 
To describe this lesser sun in its unlimited course, 
and to point out the admirable variety, with which 
it distributes its light and its heat, is to delineate 
with precision the character of a faithful pastor. 



44 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 



TRAIT XVI. 

fcIS PARTICULAR LOVE TO THE FAITHtUL. 

THE universal love of the true minister 
manifests iistlfina particular manner, according to 
the different situations of those, who are the objects 
of it. When he finds the whole conduct of profes- 
sing* christians conformable to the nature of their 
sacred profession, 4l he loves them with a pure heart 
fervently ;" and giving way to the effusions of a 
holy joy, he expresses his affection in words like 
these : " Brethren, we are comforted over you, in 
all our affliction and distress, by your faith : for 
now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord." And 
" what thanks can we render to God for you, for 
all the joy, v. 7 here with we joy for your sakes before 
God i" In these expressions of St. Paul an as- 
tonishing degree of affection is discovered. " Now 
we live"*. ..as though he had said, We have a two- 
fold life, the principal life which we receive im- 
mediately from Christ, and an accessory life, which 
we derive from his members, through the medium 
of brotherly love. And so deeply are we interested 
in the concerns of our brethren, that we are sensibly 
affected by the variations they experience in their 
spiritual state, through the power of that christian 
sympathy, which we are unable to describe. Thus 
when sin has detached £ny of our brethren from 
Christ, and separated them from the body of the 
faithful, we are penetrated with the most sincere 
distress : and, on the contrary, whenever they 
become more affectionately connected with us, and 
more intimately united to Christ, our common Head, 
our spirits are then sensibly refreshed, and invigo- 
rated with new degrees of life and joy. 

Reader, dost thou understand this language ? 
Hast thou felt the power of this christian sympathy ? 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 65 

Or has thy faith never yet produced these genuine 
sentiments of brotherly love ? Then thou hast spo- 
ken as a person equally destitute of sensibility and 
truth, whenever thou hast dared to say-...* 1 1 believe 
in the communion of saints. " 



TRAIT XVII. 

HIS LOVE TO THOSE, WHOSE FAITH WAS WAVERING. 

WHEN a minister, after having been made 
instrumental in the conversion of sinners, perceives 
their faith decreasing, and their love growing cold, 
he feels for them, what the Redeemer felt, when he 
wept over Jerusalem. Not less concerned for the 
remissness of his believing hearers, than St. Paul 
was distressed by the instability of his Galatian and 
Corinthian converts, he pleads with them in the 
same affectionate terms : u Ye know," ye who are 
the seals of my ministry, " how I preached the 
Gospel unto you at the first. And ye despised me 
not, but received me as an Angel of God. Where is 
then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you re- 
cord, that if it had been possible, ye would have 
plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to 
me. Am I therefore become your enemy, because 
I tell you the truth ? My little children, of whom I 
travail in birth again, until Christ be formed in 
you," I tell you with sorrow, that after all my con- 
fidence in you, " I' stand in doubt of you. Our 
mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged. Ye 
are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in 
your own bowels. Now for a recompence in the 
same, (I speak as unto my children) be ye also en- 
larged. Be ye not unequally yoked together with 
unbelievers ; for what fellowship hath righteousness 
with unrighteousness ? or what part hath he that 



66 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

believeth, with an infidel ? Wherefore come out 
from among them, and be ye separate, saith the 
Lord, and touch not the unclean thing ; and I will 
receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye 
shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord 
Almighty. We beseech you," therefore brethren, 
" that ye receive not the grace of God in rain/' 

This language of the christian pastor is almost 
unintelligible to the minister, who is merely of 
man's appointing. Having never converted a sin- 
gle soul to Christ, he has neither spiritual son nor 
daughter, and is entirely unacquainted with that 
painful travail, which is mentioned by St. Paul. 
His bowels are straitened towards Christ and his 
members, and having closely united himself to the 
men of the world, he considers the assembly of the 
faithful as a company of ignorant enthusiasts. But, 
notwithstanding the spiiiiual insensibility of these 
ill-instructed teachers, who never studied in the 
school of Christ, there is no other token, by which 
either sincere christians, or true ministers can be 
discerned, except that fervent love, which the Ga- 
latians entertained for St. Paul, before their falling 
away, and which that Apostle ever continued to en- 
tertain for them. " By this," saith our Lord, " shall 
ail men know, that ye are my disciples, if ye have 
love one to another." 



TRAIT XVIIL 

JBIS LOVE TO HIS COUNTRYMEN AND HIS ENEMIES. 

ST. PAUL, like his rejected master, was 
persecuted even to death by the Jews, his country- 
men, whi!*e he generously exposed himself to in- 
numerable hardships, in labouring for their good. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 67 

These furious devotees, inspired with envy, re- 
venge, and a persecuting zeal, hunted this Apostle 
from place to place, as a public pest. And when 
the Gentiles, on a certain occasion, had rescued 
him out of their hands, forty of the most hardened 
among them engaged themselves, by an oath, nei- 
ther to eat nor drink, till they had assassinated him. 
But notwithstanding the most indubitable proofs 
of their bloody disposition towards him, his fer- 
vent charity threw a veil over their cruelty, and 
madeHiim wish to die for his persecutors. " I de- 
clare," saith he, " the truth in Christ, my consci- 
ence also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, 
that I have great heaviness and continual sorrow 
in my heart : for I could wish, that myself were 
accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen 
according to the flesh." As though he should say : 
" It is written, cursed is every one that hangeth on 
a tree :" Thus Christ himself became " accursed" 
for us, and I also would lay down my life for my 
brethren, " that I may have fellowship with him in 
his sufferings being made conformable unto his death, 
and filling up that, which is behind of the airlictions 
of Christ in my flesh, for his body's sake, which is 
the church." It is by expressions so charitable, 
and by actions, which demonstrate the sincerity of 
those expressions, that christians avenge themselves 
of their enemies, and work upon the. hearts of their 
countrymen. 

If the sentiments of every sincere disciple of 
Christ are expressed in the preceding language of 
St. Paul, how deplorable then must be the state of 
those christians, whose anxiety, either for their 
own salvation, or for that of their nearest relations, 
bears no proportion to that eager concern, which this 
Apostle manifested for the salvation of his bitter- 
est persecutors i And if good pastors feel so ardent 
a desire to behold all men actuated by the spirit of 
Christ, without excepting even their most mali- 



68 THE PORTRAIT OF STo PAUL. 

cious enemies, what shall we say to those minis- 
ters, who never shed a single tear, nor ever breath- 
ed one ardent prayer, for the conversion of their 
parishioners, their friends, or their families ? 



TRAIT XIX. 

HIS LOVE TO THOSE, WHOM HE KNEW ONLY BY 

REPORT. 

THOUGH the true minister takes a peculiar 
interest in every thing, that concerns the salvation 
of his countrymen, yet his christian benevolence is 
far from being confined within the narrow limits of 
a particular country. He desires to bear the name 
of his Saviour to the ends of the earth ; and if he 
is not able to do this by his personal addresses, he 
will do it, at least, by his earnest wishes and his 
constant prayers. If providence has not yet fixed 
him in a particular church, he writes, in the man- 
ner of St. Paul, to the inhabitants of the most dis- 
tant countries..." I would not have you ignorant, 
brethren, that I" consider myself as " a debtor both 
to the Greeks and to the Barbarians ; both to the 
wise and the unwise. And " as much as in me is, 
I am ready to preach the Gospel to you, that are at 
Rome," where error and impiety have fixed their 
throne. " For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of 
Christ : for it is the power of God unto salvation to 
every one, that believeth." If he writes to stranger- 
converts, whose faith is publicly spoken of in the 
world, he declares his sincere attachment to them, 
and his longing desire to afford them every spiritual 
assistance, in terms like these... . u God is my wit- 
ness, whom I serve with my spirit in the Gospel 
of his Son ; that without ceasing I make mention 



TEE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 69 

©f you always in my prayers. Making request, if 
by any means, I might have a prosperous journey 
by the will of God, to come unto you. For I long 
to see you, that I may impart unto you some spi- 
ritual gift, to the end ye may be established : that 
is, that I may be comforted together with you, by 
the mutual faith both of you and me." 

If the Apostle Paul, vvhen he knew the Romans 
no otherwise than by report, expressed so ardent a 
desire to see them, for the sole purpose of inciting 
them to seek after higher degrees of faith and piety ; 
what must be the disposition of those ministers, 
who feel no desires of this nature even for the 
members of their own flock ? And in how great an 
error are those christians, who frequently assemble 
together, either in their own houses, or in more 
public places, for the very purpose of mutually for- 
getting the rstraints of piety, losing their minds by 
frivolous conversation, and debasing their minds by 
puerile amusements ! Further, if the new nature 
of the regenerate excites in them that lively con- 
cern for the salvation of their neighbours, which 
St. Paul expressed for the salvation of those, who 
inhabited the remotest parts of the earth, is it be- 
coming in the faithful to stifle the motions of that 
commendable zeal, which christian charity alone 
can inspire ? And if there are to be found among 
us dignified teachers, who, far from seconding a 
zeal so necessary in our day, are rather disposed 
to extinguish the first spa/ks of it, wherever they 
are discernable ; whom may they be said to take 
for their model, _ Paul the Apostle, or Saul the Pha- 
risee ; doubtless Saul, the agent of abigotted sect^ 
and the open persecutor of the faithful. 



70 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. *At/L. 



TRAIT XX. 

HIS CHARITY TOWARDS THE POOR IN GIVING, OR 
PROCURING FOR TEEM TEMPORAL RELIEF. 

THOUGH our Lord came principally to save 
the " souls" cf sinners, yet be- was by no means 
unmindful of their " bodies*" " He went about 
doing good," in the most unlimited sense, daily re- 
lieving, with equal care, the corporeal and spiritual 
maladies of the people. Thus when he had distri- 
buted the word of God to those, who were hun- 
gering and thirsting after righteousness, he express- 
ed an anxious concern for the support of those 
among his followers, who were sensible of no other 
wants, except such as were of a temporal nature : 
"I have compassion on the multitude, because they 
have now been with me three days, and have no- 
thing to eat". ...and not content with barely ex- 
pressing his concern for their corporeal necessities, 
he vv rough t an astonishing miracle for their imme- 
diate relief. The true minister cheerfully imitates 
the conduct of his gracious Master, by a strict and 
affectionate attention to the spiritual, and temporal 
wants of his people. " James, Cephas, and John," 
saiih St. Paul, u gave to me and Barnabas the right 
hand of fellowship, that we should go unto the 
heathen : only they would that we should remem- 
ber the poor ; the same which I also was forward 
to do." 

\\ hen the liberality of St. Paul toward his neces- 
sitous brethren was restrained by his own excessive 
indigence, he employed the most effectual means to 
procure for them the generous benefactions of 
their wealthier companions in the faith of the Gos- 
pel. The following passages extracted from his 
epistles may serve as sufficient proofs of this. " Bre- 
theren 1 cannot but inform you of M the grace of God, 
bestowed on the churches of Macedonia ; how that 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 71 

in a great trial of affliction, the abundance of their 
joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches 
of their liberality. For to their power, I bear re- 
cord, yea, and beyond their power, they were wil- 
ling of themselves ; praying us with much entreaty, 
that we would receive the gift, and take upon us 
the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.... 
Therefore as ye abound in faith, in utterance, in 
knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love to us, 
see that ye abound in this grace also. I speak by 
occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove 
the sincerity of your love* For ye know the grace 
of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, 
yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through 
his poverty might be rich. Wherefore shew ye, 
before the churches, the proof of our love, and of 
our boasting on your behalf." 

Not yet content with these earnest solicitations 
in behalf of the poor, the Apostle thus proceeds 
to enforce his importunities. " I thought it neces- 
sary to exhort the brethren, that they should go be- 
fore unto you, and make up before-hand your boun- 
ty, that the same might be ready, as a matter of 
bounty, and not as of covetousness. But this T say, 
he, that soweth sparingly, shall reap also sparingly ; 
and he, that soweth bountifully, shall reap also 
bountifully. God loveth a cheerful giver. And 
God is able to make all grace abound toward you ; 
that ye always having all sufficiency in all things, 
may abound to every good work : as it is written, 
he hath dispersed abroad ; he hath given to the 
poor ; his righteousness remaineth for ever. Now 
he that ministereth seed to the sower, both minister 
bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, 
and increase the fruits of your righteousness :" 
that ye may be " enriched in every thing to. all boun- 
tifulness, which causes through us thanksgiving to 
God. For the administration of this service not 
only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abun- 



72 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL* 

clant also by many thanksgivings unto God : while 
by the experiment of this ministration they glorify 
God for your professed subjection unto the gospel 
of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto 
them, and unto all men." Who could possibly re- 
fuse any thing to a godly minister pleading the 
cause of the poor, with all this apostolic dignity, 
simplicity, and zeal ? 

After having obtained alms for the poor, the 
Apostle Paul cautiously avoided all suspicion of ap- 
propriating any part of them to the relief of his own 
necessities ; and was equally careful, that they were 
never misemployed through the unfaithfulness of 
those, who were appointed to distribute them. One 
of our brethren, adds the Apostle, ff chosen of the 
churches'* accompanies usin our journey u with this 
grace, which is administered by us to the glory of 
the same Lord, and declaration of your ready mind : 
avoiding this, that no man should blame us in this 
abundance, which is administered by us : provid- 
ing for honest things not only in the sight of the 
Lord, but also in the sight of men," Mentioning 
again his favourite employment, he writes to a dis- 
tant church...." Now I go unto Jerusalem to minis- 
ter unto the saints. For it hath pleased them of 
Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribu- 
tion for the poor saints, which are at Jerusalem. 
When therefore I have performed this, and have 
sealed unto them this fruit, I will come by you 
into Spain. Now I beseech you, brethren, that ye 
strive together in your prayers for me, that I may- 
be delivered from them that do not believe in Ju- 
dea ; and that the service, which I have for Jeru- 
salem, may be accepted of the saints. 

Thus to wait upon the churches, and particu- 
larly thus to attend upon the poor, is to merit "the 
name of a faithful minister. 






THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL 



TRAIT XXI. 

HIS CHARITY TOWARD SINNERS IN OFFERING THEM 
EVERY SPIRITUAL ASSISTANCE- 

TO solicit alms for those, who are destitute 
of food and raiment, and at the same time to v 
hold the word of God from those, i% who hunger and 
thirst after righteousness," is to manifest an unhappy 
insistency of character. Such inconsistencies, 
however, are frequently discoverable, even among 
pastors, who pique themselves upon their disposition 
Lsof benevolence and charity, 
.an has an immortal soul. This soul, which 
is properly himself, is rendered, by sin so totally 
ignorant and so completely miserable, that she seeks 
to enrich herself with the vanities ofthe world, and 
to gratify her inclinations with the pollutions of sin. 
In pity to the soul in this state of wretchedness, the 
truths ofthe Gospel are proposed by a compassion- 
ate God, as a sacred remedy adapted to the nature 
of her innumerable wants : they illumine the blind 
with al light and knowledge ; they clothe the 

naked with the robe of righteousness ; they feed the 
gry ; they heal the sick ; they burst the cap- 
tive's bands ; they give eternal life to those, who 
are decid in trespasses and cin : in a word, they 
:e us partakers of the great salvation of God. 
To publish this Gospel then, or to procure the 
preaching of it to sinners, is undoubtedly to 

n an important proof of the most excellent cha- 
rity • : on the other liana, to refuse them the 
i, or to avoid any occasion of adminis- 
tg- it, is absolutely or cicasionaliy to utr.y them 

tances, which the Sa- 
- world has appointed for their d::ily re- 
altor, who acts in this ming man- 
ner, resembles a physician, or an almoner, who, 

G 



74 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

having received a charge from his prince to supply 
the poor with food, or the sick with medicine, not 
only refuses to acquit himself of his acknowledged 
duty with diligence and impartiality,but strenuously 
opposes those who endeavour to supply his lack of 
service. Such a minister seems to maintain a sys- 
tem as absurd and cruel, as would be that of 
either of those characters just alluded to, who should 
pretend, that no one had authority to administer 
alms to the poor, or medicine to the sick, except 
such as received pensions from the prince for that 
purpose ; and that even these would act in a dis- 
orderly manner, if they should dare to distribute 
alms or remedies except on the sabbath day, and' 
then only during particular hours. 

So long as any pastor seeks his own glory, so 
long he will be subject to some degree of that con- 
temptible jealousy, which will not suffer him to be- 
hold with pleasure the more abundant and suc- 
cessful labours of his brethren. But, the faith- 
ful minister of Christ, whose chief desire is the 
prosperity of the church, is actuated by a totally 
different spirit. Though he has a peculiar satis- 
faction in beholding the success of his own spiritual 
labours ; yet, when he hears the Gospel published 
by others, and even by such as are apparently influ- 
enced by unworthy motives, he greatly rejoices in 
their success. His charity, which neither envies an- 
other's prosperity, nor seeks his own particular ad- 
vantage, expresses itself, upon so delicate a subject, 
in the language of St. Paul.... 44 Some indeed preach 
Christ, even of envy and strife, supposing to add af- 
fliction 10 my bonds. What then ? notwithstanding, 
every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ 
is preached ; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and I will 
rejoice." 

Influenced by envy, or rendered insensible by 
their lukewarmness, wordly ministers absolute 
strangers to the generous, pleasure here mentioned 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 75 

by the Apostle : nor have they the least idea of act- 
ing in a criminal manner, when they will not per- 
mit the truths of the Gospel to be freely declared 
by all, who are disposed to announce them. 

The good pastor^ by whatever name lie may be 
distinguished, lives only to publish the Gospel, and 
to convert the souls committed to his charge : to 
restrain him then from attending to these important 
labours, is to force him aside from the irue end of 
his calling, and must appear to every enlightened 
mind a greater act of cruelty, than to withhold the rich 
from giving alms, or to detain an expert swimmer 
from saving his drowning brethren. If such a pas- 
tor, in any period of his life has acted like a monopo- 
list of the Gospel, and, by denying to the poor in 
spirit, what was freely given for their support, has 
caused in any place a famine of the word ; he be- 
lieves himself abundantly more culpable than those 
avaricious merchants, v. ho, by forming a monopo- 
ly of grain in the Ea^t Indies, caused a grievous fa- 
mine in that country, by which an innumerable 
multitude of its inhabitants perished. Those cove- 
tous men denied to the bodies of their neighbours a 
perishable nourishment ; but he has withheld from 
the souls of his brethren that precious manna, which 
might have preserved them to everlasting life. Such 
was the crime of those, whom our Lord addressed in 
the following words...." Woe unto you, Scribes and 
Pharisees, Hypocrites; for ye shut up the kingdom 
of Heaven against men : for ye neither go in your- 
selves, neither suffer ye them, that are entering, 
to go in. Observe St. Paul's sentiments of such cha- 
racters. With respect to those Jews, " who both 
killed the Lord Jesus, and their own Prophets, and 
have persecuted us ; they please not God, and are 
contrary to all men, forbidding us to speak to the 
Gentiles, that they might be saved," filling up by 
this means the measure of their sin : " for the wrath 
is come upon them to the uttermost." 



76 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

If the character, which the Apostle here de- 
scribes was odious in a Jew, without doubt it is 
more so in a christian, and still doubly detestable 
in a minister of the Gospel, whose heart should 
continually be animated with a fervent desire for 
the conversion of sinners, and the salvation of all 
mankind. Was it possible for those who are dis- 
tinguished by this trait of the character of Anti- 
christ to discover the turpitude of their own con- 
duct, they would acknowledge themselves abun- 
dantly more guilty than the robber, who should 
force away from a famished pauper the morsel of 
bread he had begged in his distress. They v/ould 
pronounce, without any hesitation, that the foster- 
mother, who neglects the infant she has undertaken 
to cherish, and prevents her charitable neighbours 
from affording it any nourishment, is still more ex- 
cusable than the pastor, who, not content with re- 
fusing to ^Qtd the flock of Christ, endeavours to 
scatter his sheep, wherever they are found feedings 
seeking out accusations against those, who have 
led them to a refreshing pasture, and studying by 
every means to withdraw the Gospel from those pe- 
nitent sinners, who, u as new-born babes, desire 
the sincere milk of the word, that they may grow 
thereby." 

Happy will be the age, in which christian pas- 
tors shall no longer be found, like the Scribes in 
the days of St. Paul, labouring to fill up the mea- 
sure of their iniquities ! Then truth and piety shall 
no longer be restrained by the fetters of prejudice 
and bigotry i Then the faithful shall worship God, 
and publish the Gospel, with as much freedom, as 
the dissipated indulge themselves in the sports of 
the age, or the malevolent in slandering their 
neigbours ! 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 77 



TRAIT XXIL 

THE ENGAGING CONDESCENSION OF HIS HUMBLE 

CHARITY. 

CHARITY avoids all appearance of haugh- 
tiness, and is never seen to act in an unbecoming 
manner. On the contrary, full of courtesy, she 
fears lest she should give offence to any ; and, full 
of benevolence, she labours for the edification of all. 
Hence the charitable pastor cannot act otherwise 
than with a holy condescension towards all men, 
and especially toward the ignorant and poor, with 
whom the ministers of the present age will scarcely 
deign to converse : and, without ever slipping his 
foot into the pit of error, he sometimes approaches 
it, with a happy mixture of compassion and pru- 
dence, for the relief of those, who are unable to 
extricate themselves from it. " Though I am free 
from all men," writes St. Paul, " yet I have made 
myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. 
Unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might 
gain the Jews, : to them, that are without law, as 
without law, that I might gain them, that are 
without" a witten " law. To the weak became I 
as weak, that I might gain the weak : I am made 
all things to all men, that I might by all means 
save some. And this I do for the Gospel's sake. 
Ail things are lawful for me," continues he, " but 
all things are not expedient : all things are la ( 
for me, but all things edify not. When ye sin 
against the brethren" by wounding " their weak 
conscience, ye sin against Christ. Wherefore if 
meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh, 
while the world standeth, lest I make my bro 
to offend. Whether therefore, ye eat or drink, 
or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of 
God. Even as I please all men in all things, net 

g 2 



78 THE PORTRAIT OF ST, PAUL. 

seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many? 
that they may be saved." 

Behold that sweet prudence of charity, which 
our Lord recommended to his disciples, when he 
pointed out the folly of putting new wine into such 
bottles, as were unable to resist the force of the 
fermenting liquor. And of this affectionate dis- 
cretion he himself gave them a striking example, 
when he said ; " I have many things to say unto 
you, but ye cannot bear them now." If this con- 
descending carriage was lovely in the blessed 
Jesus, it will ever appear amiable in his humble 
imitators, who can say, with the Apostle Paul, to 
the weaker members of the church: u We have 
fed you with milk, and not with meat ; for hitherto 
ye were not able to bear it." 

Special care is, however, to be taken, that this 
charitable condescension may never betray the in- 
terests of truth and virtue. " Abstain," saith St* 
Paul, ki from all appearance of evil. Be ye follow- 
ers of me, even as I slso am of Christ." For 
** herein do I exercise myself to have always aeon- 
science void of offence toward God and toward 
men." And " our rejoicing is this, the testimony 
of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sin- 
cerity, not with fl-esfirly wisdom, but by the grace 
of God, we have had our conversation in the world, 
and more abundantly to you ward, among whom 
we have laboured in the Gospel." 

If there exist pastors, who lack this condescen- 
sion toward the poor, or who are destitute of that 
humble charity, which can familiarize itself with 
the rii6st ignorant, for their edification and com- 
fort : if there are ministers to be found, who are 
ever meanly complaisant to the rich, and who are 
void of holy resolution in the presence of the great, 
instead of conducting themselves with that ming- 
led humility and dignity, which are suitable to the 
character they sustain., ..may the one and the other 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST* PAUL. 79 

be convinced of the grievous error, into which 
they are fallen, while they contemplate this oppo- 
site trait in the character of St. Paul. 

Upon what consideration is founded the humi- 
liating distinction, which is generally made be- 
tween the rich and the poor I Was Christ manifested 
in a state of earthly grandeur ? Did he not chiefly 
associate with the poor ? Far from Battering the 
rich, did he not insinuate, that they would, with 
the utmost difficulty, enter into the kingdom of 
God ? Did he not affirm, it were better for a man 
to be cast into the sea with a mill-stone about his 
neck, than to offend the poorest believer ? Did he 
not declare, that he would consider the regard 
shewn to the meanest of his followers, as though 
he himself had been the immediate object of it ? 
When St. James assures us, that" he who converteth 
a sinner from the error of his way," performs the 
the best of all possible good works, because, by 
preventing a multitude of sins, he places the soul 
in the road to every virtue... .can this declaration be 
supposed to lose any of its force, when applied to 
the soul of a poor man ? Are not the lowest of men 
immortal as the most elevated ? Did not Christ 
humble himself to the death of the cross for the 
poor, as well as the rich ? " Hath not God chosen 
the poor of th\s world, rich in faith, and heir- of 
the Kingdom V 1 And, finally, were the angels less 
ready to convey the soul of perishing Lazarus to 
Paradise, than that of wealthy Abraham ? Perish 
then for ever that unchristian prejudice, which 
dishonours the poor, nourishes the pride of the 
rich, and leads us to the violation of that great com- 
mand, by which we become as guilty, as though 
we had transgressed the whole Law, the spirit of 
which is love. And let us remember, it is only 
out of the ruins of so despicaoie a partiality, that the 
engaging condescension, of which St. Paul has left 
us so lovely an example, can possibly be produced. 



SO THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 



TRAIT XXIII. 

HIS COURAGE IN DEFENCE OF OPPRESSED 
TRUTH. 

" CHARITY rejoiceth in the truth." These 
two amiable companions are closely united together, 
and mutually sustain each other. It is possible, 
however, when an error has the suffrages of many 
persons respectable on account of their wisdom, 
their age, their rank, their labours, or their piety, 
that a sincere christian may be tempted to sacri- 
fice truth to authority, or rather to a mistaken cha- 
rity. But the enlightened pastor, putting on the 
resolution of St. Paul) will never suffer himself to 
be imposed upon by the appearance either of per- 
sons, or things : and though he should see him- 
self standing alone on the side of evangelical truths, 
he will not fear, even singly, to act as their modest 
and zealous defender. 

In these circumstances a luke-warm minister 
loses all his courage* Behold his general plea for 
the pusillanimity of his conduct. ..." I am alone, 
u and what success can I expect in so difficult an 
" undertaking ? The partizans of this error are 
" persons, whom I both love and honour. Some 
" of them have shewn me great kindness, and others 
" have sufficient credit! to prejudice the world against 
" me. Moreover, it would be looked upon as pre- 
" sumption in me, who am weaker than a reed, to 
ts oppose myself to a torrent, which bears down the 
" strongest pillars of the church." Such is the 
manner, in which he apologizes for the timidity of 
his conduct in those situations, where his love, of 
truth is publicly called to the test : not consider- 
ing, that to reason thus, is to forget, at once, the 
omnipotence of God, the force of truth, and the 
unspeakable worth of those souls, which error may 
poison and destroy. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 81 

On the contrary, the faithful minister, who, 
on all occasions, rejoices in the truth, " conferring 
not with flesh and blood, " courageously refuses 
to bear the yoke of any error, that must evidently 
be accompanied with evil consequences. In the 
most trying situations of this nature he imitates the 
conduct of the great apostle, who, when he saw 
a shameful error making its way into the church, 
placed himself in the gap, and gave way to the 
emotions of his honest zeal, as related in the fol- 
lowing passage :...." False brethren came in privily 
to spy ont our liberty, which we have in Christ 
Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage. To 
whom we gave place by subjection, no not for an 
hour ; that the truth of the Gospel might continue 
with you. And when Peter was come to Antioch, 
I withstood him to the face, because he was to be 
blamed. For before that certain came from 
James, he did eat with the Gentiles : but when 
they were come, he withdrew and separated him- 
self, fearing them, which were of the circumci- 
sion. And the other Jews dissembled likewise 
with him, insomuch that Barnabas also," under 
the specious pretence of not otfending his neigh- 
bour, " was carried away with their dissimulation. 
But when I saw, that they walked not uprightly 
according to the truth of the Gospel, I said unto 
Peter before them all, if thou being a Jew, livest 
after the manner of the Gentiles, and not as do 
the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to 
live as do the Jews?" 

This reasonable reprimand is, perhaps, one of 
the greatest proofs, which St. Paul ever gave of the 
uprightness of his intention, and the steadiness of his 
resolution. 

Ye men of integrity ! ye, who have proved 
how much it costs to defend the rights of truth 
when it stands opposed to that deference, which 
condescending love obliges us to shew, in a thou- 



§2 THE PORTRAIT Of ST. PAUL. 

sand instances, to respectable authority , you alone 
are able to make a proper judgment of the holy- 
violence, which was exercised by St. Paul upon 
this occasion. But whatever they may be called 
to endure, in so honourable a cause, happy are 
those christians, and doubly happy those pastors, 
who have so great a love for truth, and so true a 
love for their brethren that they are ready at all 
times, with this faithful apostle, to sacrifice to the 
interests of the Gospel, every inferior considera- 
tion, every servile fear, and every worldly hope. 



TRAIT XXIV. 

HIS PRUDENCE IN FRUSTRATING THE DESIGNS OF 

HIS ENEMIES. 

THERE is no kind of calumny which 
the incredulous have not advanced, in order to ren- 
der Christianity either odious, or contemptible. 
According to the notions of these men, to adopt 
the maxims of evangelical patience, argues a want 
of sensibility ; and to regulate our conduct, accord- 
ing to the dictates of christian prudence, is to act 
the hypocrite. What we have to say, in this 
place, will chiefly respect the latter charge. 

It has been asserted by modern infidels, that 
the gentlenes and forbearance, which the Gospel 
requires of its professors, must necessarily make 
them the dupes of designing men, and lead them 
unreluctantly into the snares of their persecutors* 
But to draw this inference from some few passages 
of scripture, understood in too literal a sense, is to 
set truth at variance with itself, merely for the 
purpose of charging christians with all the evil, 
which, it is presumed, they might have avoided 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 83 

by prudence, cr have overcome by resolution. The 
example of our Lord, and that of St. Paul, might 
have rectified the ideas of cavillers upon this point. 
When Christ exhorted his disciples tobe ^harm- 
less as doves," he admonished them at the same 
time to be " wise as serpents :" and of this harm- 
less wisdom he himeslf gave a striking example, 
when he was interrogated by the Jews, respecting 
the lawfulness of paying tribute unto Cesar. Well 
acquainted with the different sentiments of that 
people, with regard to the Roman yoke, without 
directly combating the prejudices of any party, 
he returned a satisfactory answer to all parties, by 
an inference drawn from "the image and super- 
scription" borne upon their current coin.... 4 ' Ren- 
der unto Cesar the things, that are Cesar's, and 
unto God the things, that are God's." 

The sincere christian, and the faithful minister, 
have frequent occasion for this happy prudence, as 
well as St. Paul, who, more than once, employed 
it with success, The Jews, irritated against this 
apostle, sought occasion to destroy him, on ac- 
count of the zeal, with which he published the Gos- 
pel among the Gentiles. Hoping to soften the pre- 
judices, they entertained against his conduct, he 
recounted to them, how Jesus, being raised from 
the dead, and appearing to him in an extraordinary 
manner, had expressly sent him to the Gentiles ; 
when the Jews, more irritated than before, would 
have torn him to pieces, had he not been rescued 
out of their hands by the Roman garrison. By this 
means Paul was preserved for a more peaceful 
hearing. And on the morrow, when he stood be- 
fore the Jewibhcouncil, perceiving that the assem- 
bly was composed, partly of sadducees, who say 
there is " no resurrection, neither angel, nor spi- 
rit ;" and partly of pharisees, who believe equally 
in the existence of spirits and the resurrection of 
the body ; he immediately availed himself ofthis 



84 THE PORTRAIT GF ST. PAUL* 

circumstance, and cried' out...." Men and brethren,, 
I am a pharisee, the son of a pharisee ; of the hope 
and resurrection of the dead I am called in ques- 
tion." As though he had said.. ..The great cause 
of the violent persecution, that is now raised 
againts me, is, that I preach Jesus and the resur- 
rection. Our fathers, indeed, were not absolutely 
assured of a life to come ; but the important doc- 
trine of the resurrection, and the judgment, that 
ihall follow, is now demonstrated ; since God has 
given an incontestible proof of it, in raising up his 
Son Jesus from the dead. And I myself have been 
an eye witness of his resurrection, to whom he 
has appeared two several times, once as I journeyed 
to Damascus, and afterwards as I prayed in the 
temple. But when I mentioned this second appear- 
ance of a risen Saviour, my incredulous accusers 
began vehemently to cry out, " Away with such a 
fellow from the earth. By this just exposition of 
the fact and by his prudent selection of the resur- 
tion of Christ from among the other great doctrines 
of Christianity, St. Paul happily caused a division 
to take place among his judges. And the event 
answered his expectation : for " the scribes, that 
were of the pharisees part, arose, saying f We 
find no evil in this man : but if a spirit," i. e. a 
man risen from the dead, " or an angel hath spo- 
ken to him, let us not fight against Uod." There 
is .still another instance of the wisdom of the ser- 
pent, reconciling itself with the innocence of the 
dove, in the conduct of this Apostle, when marking 
the disposition of his Athenian Judges, he took ad- 
vantage of their taste for novelty by announcing to 
them The unknown God, to whom they iiad already 
erected an altar. 

'ibis christian prudence, equally distant fromlhe 
duplicity of hypocrites and ihe stupidity ol idiots, 
merits a place among the traits which characterize 
this great Apostle, not only because it is worthy 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 85 

of our imitation, but also because it has been indi- 
rectly represented, by a modern Celsus, as mere 
cunning and artifice. The author here alluded to, 
who deserves rather to be called a great poet than a 
faithful painter, having disfigured this Jrait of St. 
Paul's character, with a pencil dipt in the gaii of 
prejudice ; we gladly take this occasion of setting 
forth the injustice of his imputations, so illiberally 
cast both upon Christianity itself, and the most 
eminent of its defenders. This witty philosopher, 
who has said so many good things against the spi- 
rit of persecution, never perceived, that he him- 
self was actuated by an intolerant spirit : so true it 
is, that the most sagacious are liable to be blinded 
by passion or prejudice. The same spirit of per- 
secution, which excited the Athenians to discounte- 
nance the justice of Aristides, as a dangerous sin- 
gularity, and to punish the piety of Socrates, as a 
species of atheism, led the author of the philoso- 
phical dictionary to represent the prudence of St. 
Paul, as the duplicity of an hypocrite. 

Had this severe judge occupied the seat of 
Ananias, he might perhaps, with an affected libe- 
rality, have overlooked the peculiarities of the 
Apostle's creed ; but, in the end, his innate detes- 
tation of piety would have assisted him, according 
to the general custom of persecutors, to feign some 
just cause for treating him with the utmosr rigor. 
And this he has done in our day, as far as his cir- 
cumstances would permit ; since, not being able to 
disgrace him by the hand of a public executioner, 
he has studied to do it with his pen, by ravishing 
from him, not only his reputation for extraordinary 
piety, but even his claim to common honesty. 

Persecutor ! whoever thou art, be content that 
thy predecessors have taken away the lives of the 
righteous, and spare them what they prefer infinite- 
ly before life itself, " The testimony of a good con- 
science." 



86 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL* 



TRAIT XXV. 

HIS TENDERNESS TOWARD OTHERS, AND KIS SE- 
VERITY TOWARD HIMSELF. 

THOUGH perfectly insensible to the warm 
emotions of brotherly love, the worldly pastor fre- 
quently repeats, in his public discourses, those affec- 
tionate expressions, which flow so cordially from 
the lips of faithful ministers, "My dear brethren in 
Christ 1" These expressions from the pulpit are al- 
most unavoidable, upon some occasions, but, in 
general, they are to be regarded in no other lighfi 
than the civil addresses of a haughty person, who 
concludes his epistles by assuring his correspon- 
dents, that he considers it an honour to subscribe 
himself their obedient servant. But while the 
worldly minister affects a degree of benevolence, 
which he cannot feel, the good pastor, out of the 
abundance of a heart overflowing with christian 
chatity, addresses his brethren with the utmost af- 
fection and regard, not only without any clanger of 
feigning what he has not experienced, but even 
without a possibility of expressing the ardour of his 
brotherly love. His exhortations to the faithful, 
like those of St. Paul, are seasoned with an unction 
of grace, and accompanied with a flow of tender- 
ness, which frequently give them an astonishing 
effect upon his brethren, and which always etince 
the interest he takes in the concerns of the church. 
" Rebuke not an elder," says St. Paul, " but entreat 
him as a father, and the younger men as brethren \ 
the elder women as mothers, the younger as sis- 
ters, with all purity ." Such was the exhortation of 
this apostle to a young minister, nor was his ex- 
ample unsuitable to his counsel. " I beseech you 
brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present 
your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST, PAUL. £7 

God. Dearly beloved, be not overcome of evil, 
but overcome evil, with good. I write not these 
things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn 
you. I, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you. 
that ye walk, worthy of the vocation, wherewith ye 
are called. If there be any consolation in Christy 
if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the 
spirit, if any bowels and mercies, fulfil ye my joy, 
that ye be like-minded, being of one accord. My 
beloved, work out your own salvation with fear and 
trembling, We beseech you, brethren, and exhort 
you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of 
us, how ye ought to walk, and to please God, so ye 
would abound more and more. Though I might be 
much bold in Christ, to enjoin thee that which is com- 
venient,yet for love's sake I rather beseech thee, be- 
ing such an one as Paul the aged, and now also a 
prisoner of Jesus Christ. I beseech thee for my 
son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds : 
who in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now 
profitable to thee and to me, whom I have sent 
again. Thou therefore receive him that is mine 
own bowels. Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee 
in the Lord : refresh my bowels in the Lord." 
Such was the tenderness and affection, with which 
St. Paul was accustomed to address his believing 
brethren. But the language of this Apostle was 
very different when he spoke of himself, and of that 
body of sin, which constrained him to cry out, " O 
wretched man that I am." 

It is the character of too many persons to be 
severe toward the failings of others, while they 
shew the utmost lenity toward themselves, with 
respect both to their infirmities and their vices. 
Always ready to place the faults of their neigh- 
bours in an odious light, and their own in the most 
favourable point of view, they seem to be made up 
of nothing, but partiality and self-love ; while the 
true minister reserves his greatest indulgence for 



88 THE PORTRAIT OF St. PAUL. 

others, and exercises the greatest severity toward 
himself. " All things are lawful for me," writes 
St. Paul, " but I will not be brought under the 
power of any. Know ye not, that they which run 
in a race, run all, but one receiveth the prize ? 
And every one, that striveth for the mastery, is 
temperate in all things : now they do it to obtain a 
corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible. I there- 
fore so run, not as uncertainly ; so fight I, not as one 
that beateth the air : But I keep under my body 
and bring it into subjection : lest that by any 
means, when I have preached to others, I myself 
should be a cast-away." 

One reflection naturally finishes this trait of the 
character of St. Paul. If this spiritual man, if this 
great Apostle, thought himself obliged to use such 
strenuous efforts, that he might not be rejected be- 
fore God at the last ; in how great danger are those 
careless pastors and christians, who, far from ac- 
customing themselves to holy acts of self denial, 
satisfy their natural desires, without any apprehen- 
sion, and treat those as enthusiasts? who begin to 
imitate St. Paul, by regarding their baptismal vow, 
and renouncing their sensual appetites. 



TRAIT XXVI. 



MIS LOVE NEVER DEGENERATED INTO COWARDICE, 
BUT REPROVED AND CONSOLED AS OCCASION RE- 
QUIRED. 

THE charity of the true minister bears no 
resemblance to that phantom of a virtue, that mean 
complaisance, that unmanly pliancy, that unchris- 
tian cowardice, or that affected generosity, which 
the ministers of this day delight to honour with the 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 89 

name of charity. According to these insufficient 
judges, to be charitable. ...is only to give some tri- 
lling alms out of our abundant superfluities, to tole- 
rate the most dangerous errors, without daring to 
lift up the standard of truth, and to behold the over- 
flowings of vice, without attempting to oppose the 
threatening torrent. Such would be the mistaken cha- 
rity of a Surgeon, who, to spare the mortifying arm of 
his friend, should suffer the gangrene to spread over 
his whole body. Such was the charity of the high 
priest Eli toward Hophni and Phinehas ; an impi- 
ous charity, which permitted him to beheld then- 
shameful debaucheries with too favourable srn eye ; 
a fatal charity, which opened that abyss of evil, 
which finally swallowed them up, and into which 
they dragged with them their father, their chil- 
dren, the people of Israel, and the church, over 
which they had been appointed to preside. 

The good pastor, conscious, that he shall save 
a soul from death, if he can but prevail with a sin- 
ner to forsake his evil way, uses every effort to ac- 
complish so important a work. And among oth^r 
probable means, which he employs on this occa- 
sion, he tries the force of severe reprehension, re- 
buking the wicked with a holy authority ; and, if 
it be necessary, returning to the charge with a spark 
of that glowing zeal, with which his Master was in- 
fluenced, when he forced from the temple those in- 
famous buyers and sellers, who had profaned it with 
their carnal merchandize. Thus St* Paul, on receiv- 
ing information, that scandalous errors had been dis- 
covered in the conduct of a member of the Corinthian 
•church, immediately wrote to that church, in the 
following severe and solemn manner*..." It is re- 
ported, that there is fornication among you, And ye 
are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he, 
that hath done this deed, might be taken away 
from among you. Know ye not, that a little leaven 
leaveneth the whole lump," and that the plague in 

h 2 



90 THE PORTRAIT ©F ST. MUL. 

any single member of a society is sufficient to in- 
fect the whole company ? * c Purge out therefore 
the old leaven, " and " put away from among your- 
selves that wicked person. If any man that is cal- 
led a brother be a fornicator, keep not company 
with such an one, no not to eat. Be not deceived : 
fornicators shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 
Know ye not, that your bodies are the members of 
Christ ? Flee fornication" therefore, and avoid the 
company of fornicators. " For ye are bought with 
a price : therefore glorify God in your body and in 
your spirit, which are God's," Further, " I ve- 
rily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have 
judged already concerning" the lascivious person, 
that is among you, "to deliver such a one unto Sa- 
tan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit 
may be saved in the day of our Lord Jesus." 

When the true minister has passed the severest 
censures upon sinners, and beholds, those censures 
attended with the desired effect, he turns to the 
persons he lately rebuked with testimonies of that 
unbounded charity, that " beareth all things," and 
" hopeth all things." More ready, if possible, to 
relieve the dejected than to humble the presump- 
tuous, after having manifested the courage of a lion, 
he puts on the gentleness of a lamb, con-soling and 
encouraging the penitent offender, and never ceas- 
ing to intercede for him, till his pardon is obtained 
both from God and man. Thus St. Paul, who had 
so sharply rebuked the Corinthians in his- first epis^- 
tie, gave them abundant consolation in his second, 
and exhorted them to receive with kindness the per- 
son, whom he had before enjoined them to excom- 
municate. It is easy to recognize the tenderness of 
Christ in the following language of this benevolent 
Apostle. " I wrote unto you" my first epistle "out 
of much affliction and anguish of heart, with many 
tears, not that ye should be grieved, but that ye 
might know the love, which I have more abundantly 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST, PAUL. 91 

unto you. Great is my glorying of you, I am filled 
with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribu- 
lation. God, that comforteth them, that are cast 
down, comforted us by the coming of Titus" my 
messenger, " when he told us your earnest desire, 
your mourning, and your fervent mind toward me, 
For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do 
not repent, though I did repent. Now I rejoice, 
not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed 
to repentance. For ye were made sorry after 
a godly manner.. -For behold, what carefulness it 
wrought in you ? what clearing of yourselves ! 
what" holy " indignation ! what fear ! what vehe- 
ment desire ! what zeal ! what revenge ! In all 
things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in 
this matter." Moreover, " we were comforted in 
your comfort. Yea, and exceedingly the more 
joyed we for the joy of Titus, because his spirit 
was refreshed by you all. And his inward affection 
is more abundant toward you, whilst he remember- 
eth the obedience of you all, and how you received 
him," together with my reproof, "with fear and trem- 
bling. I rejoice therefore, that I have confidence 
in you in all things." And with respect to the per- 
son, who has caused so much distress, " Sufficient 
to such a man is this punishment, which was in- 
flicted of many. So that" now " ye ought rather 
to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such 
a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sor- 
row. Wherefore, I beseech you, that ye would 
confirm your love toward him. To whom ye for- 
give any thing, I forgive also ; nay, I have already 
forgiven him, for your sakes, as in the presence of 
Christ." 

Great God i appoint over thy flock vigilant, cha- 
ritable, and courageous pastors, who may discern 
the sinner through all his deceitful appearances, and 
separate him from thy peaceful fold, whether he 
be an unclean goat, or a ravenous wolf. Permit not 



^2 THE PORTRAIT OF ST* PAUL. 

thy ministers to confound the just with the unjust, 
rendering contemptible the most sacred mysteries, 
by admitting to them persons with whom virtu- 
ous heathens would blush to converse. Touch the 
hearts of those pastors, who harden thy rebellious 
people, by holding out tokens of thy favour to those, 
who are the objects of thy wrath : and permit no 
longer the bread of life, which they carelessly dis- 
tribute to all, who chuse to profane it, to become 
in their unhallowed hands the bread of death. Dis- 
cover to them the impiety of offering their holy 
things to the dogs: and awaken in them a holy 
fear of becoming accomplices with those hypo- 
critical monsters, who press into thy temple to cru- 
cify the Son afresh ; and who, by a constant profa- 
nation of the symbols of our holy faith, add to their 
other abominations the execrable act of eating and 
drinking their own damnation, and that with as 
much composure, as some among them swallow 
down the intoxicating draught, or utter the most 
impious blasphemies. 



AN OBJECTION ANSWERED. 



BEFORE we proceed to the consideration 
of another trait of the character of St. Paul, it will 
be necessary to refute an objection to which the 
preceding trait may appear liable. ' Dare you,' it 
may be asked, i propose to us, as a model, a man, 
i who could strike Elymas with blindness, and deli- 
4 ver up to Satan the body of a sinner V 

Answer. The excellent motive, and the happy 
success of the Apostle's conduct, in both these in- 
stances, entirely justify him. He considered afflic- 
tion not only as the crucible, in which God is fre- 
quently pleased to purify the just, but as the last 
remedy to be employed for the restoration of obsti- 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 93 

natc sinners. Behold the reason, why the charity 
of the primitive church demanded in behalf of God, 
that the rod should not be spared, when the impiety 
of men was no longer able to be restrained by gen- 
tler means ; determining, that it was far-better to be 
brought to repentance, even by the sharpest suffer- 
ings, than to live and die in a sinful state. To ex- 
ercise this high degree of holy and charitable seve- 
rity toward a sinner, was, in some mysterious man- 
ner, a to deliver up his body to Satan," who was 
looked upon as the executioner of God's righteous 
vengeance in criminal cases. ...Thus Satan destroyed 
the first born of Egypt, smote the subjects of Da- 
vid with the pestilence, and cut off the vast army of 
Sennacherib. St. John has thrown some light upon 
.this profound mystery, by asserting, " There is a 
sin unto death :" and the case of Ahab is fully in 
point ; for when that king had committed this sin, 
a spirit of error received immediate orders to lead 
him forth to execution upon the plains of Ramoth- 
Gilead. This awful doctrine is further confirmed 
by St. Luke, when he relates, that in the same in- 
stant, when the people, in honour of Herod,' " gave 
a shout, saying, It is the voice of a God and not 
of a man ; the angel of the Lord smote him, because 
he gave not God the glory : and he was eaten up of 
worms, and gave up the ghost." The punishment 
thus inflicted, by the immediate order of God, was 
always proportioned to the nature of the offence. 
If the sin was not unto death, it was followed by some 
temporary affliction as in the cases of Ely mas and the 
incestuous Corinthian. If the crime committed was 
of such a nature that the death of the sinner became 
necessary, either for the salvation of his soul, for 
the reparation of his crime, or to alarm those, who 
might probably be corrupted by his pernicious ex- 
ample, he was then either smitten with some incu- 
rable disease, as in the case of Herod ; or struck 
with immediate death, as in the case of Ananias and 



94 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

Sapphira, who sought to vail their hypocrisy with 
appearances of piety, and their double dealing with 
a lie. Had M. Voltaire considered the christian 
church, as a well regulated species of theocracy, he 
would have seen the folly of his whole reasoning 
with respect to the authority of that church, in its 
primitive state. And convinced, that God has a 
much greater right to pronounce by his ministers 
a just sentence of corporeal punishment, and even 
death itself, than any temporal prince can claim to 
pronounce such sentence by his officers : that 
daring philosopher, instead of pointing his sarcasms 
against an institution so reasonable and holy, would 
have been constrained to tremble before the Judge 
of ail the earth. 

Finally. It is to be observed, that when this 
kind of jurisdiction was exercised in the church, the 
followers of Christ, not having any magistrates of 
their own religion, lived under the government of 
those heathenish rulers, who tolerated those very 
crimes, which were peculiarly offensive to the pure 
spirit of the Gospel. And on this account God was 
pleased to permit the most eminent among his peo- 
ple, on some extraordinary occasions, to exercise 
that terrible power, which humbled the offending 
church of Corinth, and overthrew the sorcerer Ely- 
mas in his wicked career. If it be enquired.. ..What 
would become of mankind, were the clergy of this 
day possessed of the extraordinary power of St. 
Paul ? We answer... .The terrible manner, in which 
St. Paul sometimes exercised the authority he had 
received, with respect to impenitent sinners, is not 
left as an example to the ecclesiastics of the present 
day, unless they should come (which is almost im- 
possible) into similar circumstances, and attain to 
equal degrees of discernment, faith, and charity, 
with this Apostle himself. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 9$ 



TRAIT XXVII. 

HIS PERFECT DISINTERESTEDNESS. 

IF a charity seeketh not her own ;" and if it 
is required, that the conversation of the faithful 
should " be without covetousness" ; it becomes the 
true minister, in an especial manner, to maintain 
an upright and disinterested conduct in the world. 
Though it bt true, that " they which wait at the 
altar are partakers with the altar ;" yet nothing is 
so detestable to the faithful pastor, as the idea of en- 
riching himself with the sacred spoils of that altar. 
Observe how St. Paul expresses himself upon this 
subject. " We brought nothing into this world, and 
is it certain we can carry nothing out." Having, 
therefore, " food and raiment, let us be therewith 
content. But they, that wall be rich, fall into temp- 
tation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful 
lusts, which drown men in perdition. For the love 
of money is the root of all evil : which while some 
have coveted after, they have erred from the faith, 
and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 
But thou, O man of God," who art set apart as a 
minister of the everlasting Gospel, u fiee these 
things ; and follow after righteousness, godliness, 
faith, love, patience, meekuess." With regard to 
•myself, u I have learned, in whatever state I am, 
therewith to be content. Every where, and in all 
things, I am instructed, both to be full and to be 
hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. Nei- 
ther at any time used we flattering words, as ye 
know, nor a cloak of covetousness ; God is wit- 
ness. For ye remember our labour and travel, be- 
cause we would not be chargeable unto any of you. 
Ye are our witnesses, and God also, how holily, and 
justly, and unblameably, we behaved ourselves 
among you, that believe. Behold the third time 



96 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 

I am ready to come to you ; and I will not be bur- 
densome to you ; for I seek not yours, but you ^ 
for the children ought not to lay up for the pa- 
rents, but the parents for the children. And 
I will very gladly spend and be spent for you." Be- 
hold the disinterestedness of the faithful shepherd, 
who is ever less ready to receive food and clothing 
from the flock, than to labour for its protection and 
support ! Behold the spirit of Christ ! And let the 
pastor, who is influenced by a different spirit, draw 
that alarming inference from his state, which he is 
taught to do by the following expression of St. 
Paul : " If any man hath not the spirit of Christ, 
he is none of his." 

Happy would be the christian church, were it 
blessed with disinterested pastors ! Avaricious mi- 
nisters, who are more taken up with the concerns 
of earth, than with the things of Heaven, who 
are more disposed to enrich their families, than to 
supply the necessities of the poor, who are more 
eager to multiply their benefices, or to augment 
their salaries, than to improve their talents, and en- 
crease the number of the faithful.. ..Such ministers, 
instead of benefitting the church, harden the im- 
penitent, aggravate their own condemnation, and 
force infidels to believe, that the holy ministry is 
used, by the generality of its professors, as a com- 
fortable means of securing to themselves the pe- 
rishable bread, if not the fading honours, of the 
present life. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 97 



TRAIT XXVIII. 

HIS CONDESCENSION IN LABOURING, AT TIMES, 
WITH HIS OWN HANDS, THAT HE MIGHT PREACH 
INDUSTRY BY EXAMPLE, AS WELL AS BY PRECEPT. 

SUCH is the disinterestedness of the true 
minister, that though he might claim a subsistence 
from the sacred office, to which he has been so- 
lemnly consecrated, yet he generously chooses to 
sacrifice his rights, when he cannot enjoy them with- 
out giving some occasion for reproach. To supply 
his daily wants, he is not ashamed to labour with 
his own hands, whenhe iscalledto publish the Gos- 
pel, either among the poor, or in those countries, 
where the law has no tappointed him a maintenance, 
as among heathen nations and savage tribes : nor 
will he refuse to do this, when his lot falls among a 
slothful people, animating them to diligence in their 
several vocations by his prudent condescension, that 
the Gospel, may not be blamed. In such circum- 
stances, if his own patrimony is insufficient for his 
support, no disciple of Jesus will blush to follow the 
example of St. Paul, who gives the following repre^ 
sentation of his own conduct in cases of a like na- 
ture...." Have I committed an offence in abasing 
myself, that you might be exalted, because I have 
preached to you the Gospel of God freely ? When 
I was present with you and wanted, I was chargeable 
to no man : in all things 1 have kept myself from be- 
ing burdensome unto you, and so will I keep my- 
self. As the truth of Christ is in me ; no man shall 
stop me of this boasting in the regions of Achaia. 
Wherefore ? because I love you not? God know- 
eth. But that I may cut off occasion from them, 
that desire occasion," and who would not fail to re- 
present me as a self-interested person, were they 
able to charge me with the enjoyment of my just 

i 



98 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

right among you. "I have coveted no man's silver, 
or gold, or apparel : ye yourselves know, that these 
hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to 
them that were with me. I have shewed you all 
things, how that so labouring ye ought to support 
the weak ; and to remember the words of our Lord 
Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than 
to receive. Ye know, how ye ought to follow us : 
for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you, 
neither did we eat any man's bread for nought ; but 
wrought with labour and travail night and day, that 
we might not be chargeable to any of you : not be- 
cause we have not power, but to make ourselves an 
ensample unto you. For even, when we were with 
you, this we commanded you, that if any man would 
not work, neither should he eat. For we hear, that 
there are some, which walk among you disorderly, 
working not at all, but are busy-bodies." Happy 
were those times of christian simplicity, when the 
Apostles of Christ thought it no disgrace to follow 
some useful occupation, for the relief of their tem- 
poral necessities. ...when, instead of eating the bread 
of idleness, they cast their nets alternately for fishes 
and for men.. ..when they quitted the tabernacles, 
in which they were wont to labour, for the sacred 
recreation of setting before sinners " a building of 
God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the 
Heavens." Of how much greater value were the 
nets of St. Peter, than dogs of the chase ; and the 
working implements of St. Paul, than those tables 
of play, at which many of his unworthy successors 
are now seeking amusement ! 

But notwithstanding all the circumspection and 
prudence of the futhful pastor, even though he 
shouid think it necessary to preach industry by ex- 
ample, as well as by precept ; yet if his exhorta- 
tions are more frequent than those of his lukewarm 
brethren, he will be reproached, by the irreligious 
part of the world, as an indirect advocate for indo- 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 99 

knee. The enemies of piety and truth are still 
ready to renew the old objection of Pharaoh against 
the service of God: " Wherefore do ye let the peo- 
ple from their works ? The people of the land are 
many, and you make them rest from their bur- 
dens. They be idle ; therefore they cry, saying. 
Let us go and sacrifice to our God. Let there more 
work be laid upon the men, and let them not regard 
vain words." Such is the erroneous judgment, 
which is generally formed respecting the most zeal- 
ous servants of God : but while they feel the bitter- 
ness of these unmerited reproaches, they draw 
more abundant consolation from the encouraginglan- 
guage of their gracious Master...." Blessed are ye, 
when men shall say ail manner of evil against you 
falsely, for my sake. Rejoice and be exceeding 
glad, for great is your reward in Heaven : for so 
persecuted they the Prophets, which were before 
you." 

The declared adversaries of religion are not, 
however, the only persons, who accuse a laborious 
minister of diverting the people from their business, 
by the too frequent returns of public exhortation 
and prayer ; there are others, not wholly destitute 
of piety, who frequently add weight to these un- 
just accusations. Such are the half-converted, who 
not yet understanding the inestimable worth of that 
bread, which nourisheth the soul to everlasting life, 
are chiefly engaged in labouring for the bread which 
perisheth. Men of this character, engaging them- 
selves in a vast variety of earthly concerns, inces- 
santly disquiet themselves in vain, and consider those 
hours as running to waste, in which a zealous pas- 
tor detains them from worldly cares and frivolous 
enjoyments. While he is engaged in teaching, that 
one thing only is absolutely needful, they are grasp- 
ing at every apparent good, that solicits their affec- 
tions : and while he is insisting upon the necessity 
of choosing " that good part, which shall not be ta- 



100 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

ken away," these formal professors are ready to rea- 
son with him, as Martha with Jssus..r.Dost thou not 
know, how greatly we are cumbered with a multi- 
plicity of vexatious concerns ; and carest thou not 
that our assistants and dependants are detained from 
their necessary avocations by an indolent atten- 
dance upon thy ministry ? 

These false sentiments, with respect both to the 
ministers and the word of God, which too general- 
ly prevail among* nominal christians, have their 
source in that direct opposition, which must always 
subsist between the grand maxim of the children of 
God, and the distinguishing principle of worldly 
men,..." Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his 
righteousness,'* saith the blessed Jesus, " and all 
these things," which are further necessary to your 
welfare, " shall be added unto you :" No, replies the 
prince of this world ; seek ye first the enjoyments 
of time and sense, and all other things, that arc 
needful to your well-being, shall be added over and 
above. From these two opposite principles results 
that entire contrariety, which has been observed in 
all ages between those, who are laying up treasures 
upon earth, and those, who have set their affections 
upon things that are above. Happy are the faithful 
and doubly happy the pastors, who, constantly imi- 
tating the great Apostle, according to their several 
vocations, pray and labour at the same time, both 
for their daily bread, and the bread of eternal life ! 
In thus observing the two-fold command of Moses, 
and of Christ, some reasonable hope may be enter- 
tained, that their good works will at length overcome 
the aversion of their enemies, as those of the first 
christians overcame the deep-rooted prejudices of 
the heathen world. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 10 1 

TRAIT XXIX. 

THE RESPECT, HE MANIFESTED FOR THE HOLY ES- 
TATE OF MATRIMONY, WHILE CHRISTIAN PRU- 
DENCE ENGAGED HIM TO LIVE IN A STATE OF 
CELIBACY. 

SOME ministers have carried their disinter-, 
estedness to so high a pitch, that they have refused 
to enter into the marriage state, merely with this 
view ; that, being free from all superfluous care and 
expense, they might consecrate their persons more 
entirely to the Lord, and their possessions less re- 
servedly to the support of the poor, whom they con- 
sidered as their children, and adopted their heirs. 
But all pastors are not called to follow these rare ex- 
amples of abstinence and disinterested piety. 

When we examine into the life of a celebrated 
man, we generally enquire, whether he passed his 
days in a state of marriage or celibacy, and what it 
was, that determined his choice to the one or the 
other of these states. Such an enquiry is peculiarly 
necessary with respect to St. Paul, as many of the 
faithful, in the earliest ages of the church, deluded 
by the amiable appearance of celibacy, embraced the 
monastic life. ...a state, to which the clergy and the 
religious of the Romish church still dedicate them- 
selves : whence those disgraceful accusations, which 
divers philosophers have preferred against the 
christian religion, as destructive of society in its 
very origin, which is the conjugal bond. But, leav- 
ing the reveries of legend, if we seek for Christianity 
In the pure Gospel of Christ, we shall find this ac- 
cusation to be totally groundless ; since one view of 
the christian Legislator, in publishing that Gospel, 
was to strengthen the nuptial tie, by declaring, that 
an immodest glance is a species of adultery, by re- 
voking the permission formerly given to the hus- ■ 

I 2 



102 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

band to put away his wife for any temporary cause 
of dissatisfaction, and by absolutely forbidding di- 
vorce, except in cases of adultery. Nay, so far did 
this divine Lawgiver carry his condescension in hon- 
nour of the marriage state, that he was present at 
one of those solemn feasts, which were usually 
held upon such occasions, attended by the holy vir- 
gin and his twelve disciples : and not content with 
giving this public testimony of his respect for so 
honourable an institution, he accompanied it with 
the first miraculous proof of his almighty power. 

St. Paul, it is true, passed the whole of his life 
in a state of celibacy ; but he never enjoined it to 
any person : and if he occasionally recommended it 
to some, to whom it was indifferent, whether they 
married or not, it was chiefly on account of the dis- 
tress and persecution of those times. To engage 
the most pious persons ordinarily to live in a state 
of celibacy, is not less contrary to nature and reason, 
than to the spirit of the Gospel. This is to oppose 
the propagation of the best christians, and the most 
faithful subjects : it is to suppose, that those per- 
sons, who join example to precept in the cause of 
virtue, and who for that very reason are peculiarly 
•qualified for the education of children, are the only 
persons in the world, who ought to have none. The 
absurdity of this opinion constrained the Apostle 
Paul publicly to combat it, by declaring to the He^ 
brews, that u Marriage, and the bed undefiled, are 
honourable among all men." tie further affirmed, 
that " a Bishop must be the husband of one wife, 
one that ruleth well his own house, having his chil- 
dren in subjection with all gravity." And if he 
wished the Corinthians to continue in the state, 
which he himself had chosen, on account of the pe- 
culiar advantages accruing from it, at that season, 
to the persecuted members of the christianchurch ; 
u nevertheless to avoid fornication," he counselled, 
that " every man should have his own wife, and 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 



103 



" every woman her own husband." I will, saith he 
to Timothy, u that the younger women marry, bear 
children, and guide the house. " And lastly, he 
cautioned the same christian Bishop against the er- 
ror of those, who, in the last times, should u depart 
from the faith, giving heed to the doctrines of De- 
vils," and forbidding to marry ; earnestly exhorting 
his young successor, to guard the brethren against 
a doctrine, so fatal to the church in particular, and 
so destructive of society in general. 

But it may be urged... .If St. Paul really enter- 
tained such high ideas of marriage, and represented 
it as the most perfect emblem of that strict union, 
which subsists betwixt Christ and his church ; why- 
did he not recommend it by his example ? I an- 
swer.. ..Although St. Paul was never married, yet 
he expressly asserted his right to that privilege, as 
well as St. Peter and some others of the Apostles ; 
intimating, at the same time, that prudence and 
charity inclined him to forego his right in that re- 
spect. When a man is perpetually called to travel 
from place to place, prudence requires, that he 
should not encumber himself with those domestic 
cares, which must occasion many unavoidable de- 
lays in the prosecution of his business : or, if he de- 
rives his maintenance fiom the generosity of the 
poor, charity should constrain him to burden them 
as little as possible. This zealous Apostle could 
not prevail upon himself to expose a woman and 
children to those innumerable dangers, which he was 
constantly obliged to encounter. The first peril, 
from which he made his escape, was that, which 
compelled him to descend from the wail of Damas- 
cus in a basket : now if a family had shared with 
him the same danger, what an addition would they 
have made to his affliction and his care ! Is it not 
evident, that, in such circumstances, every man, who 
is not obliged to marry from reasons either physical 
or moral, is called to imitate the example of this 



i®4 THE PORTRAIT ©F ST. PAWL. 

disinterested Apostle, from the same motives of 
prudence and charity ? This indefatigable preacher, 
always on a mission, judged it advisable to continue 
in a single state to the end of his days : but, had he 
been fixed in a particular church ; had he there felt, 
how much it concerns a minister, neither to tempt 
others, nor be tempted himself ; and had he known, 
how much assistance a modest, provident, and pious 
woman is capable of affording a pastor, by inspect- 
ing the women of his flock... .he would then proba- 
ly have advised every resident pastor to enter into 
the marriage state, provided they should fix upon 
regenerate persons, capable of edifying the church, 
in imitation of Phebe, a deaconess of Cenchrea, 
and Persis, who was so dear to St. Paul on account 
of her labours in the Lord ; or copying the example 
of those four virgins, the daughters of Philip, who 
edified, exhorted, and consoled the faithful by their 
pious discourses. 

The christian doctrine on this point may be re- 
duced to the following heads. 1. In times of great 
trouble, and grievous persecutions, the followers of 
Christ should abstain from marriage, unless obliged 
thereto by particular and powerful reasons. 2. The 
faithful, who mean to embrace the nuptial state, 
should be careful, on no account, to connect them- 
selves with any persons, except such as are re- 
markable for their seriousness and piety. 3. If a 
man is married before he is converted ; or if, being- 
converted, he is deceived in choosing a woman, 
whom he supposed to be pious, but discovers to be 
worldly ; instead of separating himself from his 
wife, in either of these cases, he is rather called 
to give all diligence in bringing her acquainted 
with the truth, as it is in Jesus. 4. Missionaries 
ought not to marry unless there be an absolute ne- 
cessity. 5. A Bishop or resident pastor, is usually 
called to the marriage state. Lastly. A minister 
of the Gospel, who is able to live in a state of ceii* 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 105 

bacy " for the Kingdom of Heaven's sake," that he 
may have no other care, except that of preaehing 
the Gospel, and attending upon the members of 
Christ's mysticalbody ; such a one is undoubtedly 
called to continue in a single state. For, having 
obtained the gift of continence, he is dispensed 
from carnally giving children to the church, be- 
cause he begets her spiritual sons and daughters : 
and such a one, instead of being honoured as the 
head of a particular houshold, should be counted 
worthy of double honour, as a spiritual father in 
his Lord's family. 



TRAIT XXX. 

THE ARDOUR OP HIS LOVE. 

THE passions are the springs, by which we 
are usually actuated. Reason alone is too weak to 
put us in motion, so often as duty requires ; but 
when love, that sacred passion of the faithful, comes 
in to its assistance, we are then sweetly constrained 
to act in conformity to the various relations we sus- 
tain in civil and religious life. Thus the God of 
nature has rooted in the hearts of mothers a fond 
affection, which keeps them anxiously attentive to 
the wants of their children : and thus the spirit of 
God implants in the bosom of a good pastor that 
ardent charity, which excites him to watch over his 
flock with the most affectionate and unwearied at- 
tention. The love of a father to his son, the attach- 
ment of a nurse to her foster-child, the tender af- 
fection of a mother to her infant, are so many em- 
blems employed in the Holy Scriptures, to set 
forth the sweetness and ardour of that christian love, 
which animates the true minister to the performance 



106 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

of his several duties. " You know," says St, Paul, 
" how we exhorted, and comforted, and charged 
every one of you, as a father doth his children.... 
We were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherish- 
eth her children : so, being affectionately desirous of 
you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not 
the Gospel of God only, but also our own souls, be- 
cause ye were dear unto us. God is my record, how 
greatly I long after you all, in the bowels of Jesus 
Christ. Receive us; for ye are in our hearts to 
die and live with you." Worldly pastors can form 
no idea of that ardent charity, which dictates such 
benevolent language, and accompanies it with ac- 
tions, which demonstrate its sincerity. This is 
one of those mysterious things, which are per- 
fectly incomprehensible to the natural man, and 
which frequently appear to him as the extremest 
folly. This fervent love improves us into new crea- 
tures, by the sweet influence it maintains over all 
our tempers. This holy passion deeply interests the 
faithful pastor in the concerns of his fellow-chris- 
tians, and teaches him to rejoice in the benefits they 
receive, as though his own prosperity was insepara- 
bly connected with theirs. " I thank my God," 
writes the great Apostle to the benefactor of his 
brethren, "making mention of thee always in my 
prayers, hearing of thy love and faith, which thou 
hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all saints ; 
that the communication of thy faith may become ef- 
fectual, by the acknowledging of every good thing, 
which is in you in Christ Jesus. For we have 
great joy and consolation in thy love, because the 
bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee, brother." 
The sorrow and the joy of this zealous imitator of 
Christ. were generally influenced by the varying 
states of the faithful. When any, who had once run 
well, were seen loitering by the way, or starting 
aside from the path of life, he expressed the most 
sincere affliction on their account. ...There are some, 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. l&f 

" of whom I have told you often, and now tell you 
even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross 
of Christ. " On the other hand, the progress of be- 
lievers was as marrow to his bones, and as the balsam 
of life to his heart.. .." We are glad, when we are 
weak and ye are strong ; and this also we wish, even 
your perfection. My brethren, dearly beloved and 
longed for, my joy and crown, stand fast in the 
Lord, my dearly beloved. Be blameless and harm- 
less, the sons of God without rebuke, holding forth 
the word of life : that I may rejoice in the day of 
Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured 
in vain." * 

Reader, whoever thou art, permit me to ask thee 
one important question. Art thou acquainted with 
that ardent charity, that influenced the Apostle 
Paul? If his christian lave was like a rapid and deep 
river ; is thine, at least, like a running stream, 
whose waters fail not ? Do thy joys and thy sorrows 
flow in the same channel, and tend to the same 
point as the sanctified passions of this benevolent 
man ? Relate the chief causes of thy satisfaction 
and thy displeasure, and I will tell thee, whether, 
like Demas, thou art a child of this present world, 
©r a fellow-citizen of Heaven with St. Paul. 



TRAIT XXXI. 

HIS GENEROUS FEARS AND SUCCEEDING €0NS©- 
LATIONS. 

WHEN the church is threatened with a 
storm, the worldly pastor has no fears except for 
himself and his relations. But the true minister, 
if he is at all disquieted with fear, when the Lord's 
vessel is driven with the winds, or appears to be 



108 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

in danger through the indiscreet conduct of false 
or unloving brethren, he feels much less for his own 
safety, than for the security of his companions in 
tribulation. He fears especially for the weak of the 
flock, and for those of the faithful, who are exposed 
to violent temptation : and these generous fears, 
which equally prove his holy zeal and his brotherly 
love, without robbing him of all his joy, afford him 
frequent opportunities of exercising his faith, his 
resignation, and his hope. a We were troubled," 
saith St. Paul, " on eVery side ; without were fight- 
ings, within were fears. I fear, lest by any means, 
as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so 
your minds should be corrupted from the sim- 
plicity that is in Christ. I fear, lest when I come, 
I shall not find you such as I would. When we 
could no longer forbear, we sent Timothy to esta- 
blish you, and to comfort you concerning your 
faith, that no man should be moved by these afflic- 
tions : for yourselves know, that we are appointed 
thereunto. For verily, when we were with you, 
we told you before, that we should suffer tribula- 
tion ; even as it came to pass. For this cause, 
when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your 
faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempt- 
ed you, and our labour be in vain." 

Though these " fightings without," and these 
" fears within," are always painful to the flesh, yet 
they are as constantly beneficial to the soul If 
they subject the true minister for a season to the 
keenest affliction, they prepare him in the end for 
" strong consolation." Observe the manner, in 
which the great Apostle expresses himself upon 
this point...." We would not, brethren, have you 
ignorant of our trouble, which came to us in Asia, 
that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, 
insomuch that we despaired even of life. We had 
the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should 
not trust in ourselves, but in (Jod which raiseth the 



?K«E POSTHAIT OF ST. PAUL. 109 

dead : who delivered us from so great a death, and 
doth deliver : in whom we trust, that he will yet 
^deliver us. I would ye should understand, bre- 
thren, that the things, which happened unto me, 
have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the 
Gospel, so that my bonds in Christ are manifest 
in all the palace, and in all other places : and many 
of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by 
my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word 
without fear," Hence, u we glory in tribulations : 
knowing that tribulation worketh patience, and pa- 
tience, experience ; and experience, hope : and hope 
maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is 
shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which 
is given unto us. Blessed be God ? the Father of 
mercies, and theGodofall comfort; whocomforteth 
us in our tribulation, that we maybe able to comfort 
them which are in any trouble, by the comfort 
wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. 
For as the sufferings of Christ aboi-nd in us, so 
our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. " 

If those who are honoured with a commission to 
publish the Gospel were fully convinced how gra- 
cious and powerful a Master they serve, instead of 
being alarmed at the sight of those labours and dan- 
gers, which await them in the exercise of their 
ministry, they would stand prepared to run all ha- 
zards in his service ; as courageous soldiers, who 
fight under the eye of a generous prince, are ready 
to expose their lives for the augmentation of his 
glory. Can it become good pastors to manifest less 
concern for the salvation of their brethren, than mer- 
cenary warriors for the destruction of their prince's 
foes ? And if the Romans generously exposed them- 
selves to death, in preserving the life of a fellow-citi- 
zen, for the trifling reward of a civic wreath, how- 
much greater magnanimity should a christian pas- 
tor discover in rescuing the souls of his brethren 
from a state of perdition, for the glorious reward of 
a never-fading crown I 



ilO THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 



TRAIT XXXII. 

THE GRAND SUBJECT OF HIS GLORYING, AND THE 
EVANGELICAL MANNER, IN WHICH HE MAIN- 
TAINED HIS SUPERIORITY OVER FALSE APOS- 
TLES* 

THE disposition of a faithful pastor is, in 
every respect, diametrically opposite to that of a 
worldly minister. If you observe the conversation 
of an ecclesiastic, who is influenced by the spirit 
of the world, you will hear him intimating either 
that he has, or that he would not be sorry to have, 
the precedency among his brethren, to live in a 
state of affluence and splendor, and to secure to 
himself such distinguished appointments as would 
increase both his dignity and his income, without 
making any extraordinary addition to his pastoral 
labours : you will find him anxious to be admitted 
into the best companies, and occasionally forming 
parties for the chase or some other vain amuse- 
ment. While the true pastor cries out in the self- 
renouncing language of the great Apostle s " God 
forbid, that I should glory, save in the cross of our 
Lord Jesus Christ by whom the world is crucified 
unto me, and I unto the world." 

If the minister, who is really formed to preside 
in the church, was singled out from among his bre- 
thren, and placed in an Apostolic chair, he would 
become the more humble for his exaltation :.... 
if such a one was slighted and vilified by false 
Apostles, he would not appeal, for the honour of 
his character, to the superiority of his talents, his 
rank, or his mission ; but rather to the superiority 
of his labours, his dangers,and his sufferings. Thus, 
at least, St. Paul defending the dignity of his cha- 
racter' against the unjust insinuations of his adver- 
saries in the ministry..,. 14 Are they ministers of 
Christ ? (* speak as a fool) I am more." But ia 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 111 

what manner did he attempt to prove this ? Was it 
by saying, I have a richer benefice than the gene- 
rality of ministers ; I am a doctor, a professor of di- 
vinity, I bear the mitre, and dwell in an episcopal 
palace ? No : instead of this, he used the following 
apostolic language. " In labours I am more abun- 
dant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more fre- 
quent, in deaths oft. In journeyings often, in pe- 
rils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils 
in the sea, in perils by the heathen, in perils among 
false brethren : In weariness and painfulness, in 
watchings often, in hunger and thirst, In fastings 
often, in cold and nakedness. Besides those things, 
that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, 
the care of all the churches. Who is weak, and I 
am not weak i who is offended and I burn not ? If I 
must needs glory, I will glory in the things, which 
concern mine infirmities. From henceforth let no 
man trouble me : for i bear in my body the marks 
of the Lord Jesus." Such are the appeals of holy 
prelates. But for a man to glory in having obtained 
a deanery, a professor's chair, or a bishoprick, is in 
reaiity to boast of his unfaithfulness to his vocation, 
and to prove himself unworthy of the rank, to which 
he has been injudiciously raised. 

Ye who preside over the household of God, 
learn of the Apostle Paul to manifest your real su- 
periority. Surpass your inferiors in humility, in 
charity, in zeal, in your painful labours for the sal- 
vation of sinners, in your invincible courage to en- 
counter those dangers, which threaten your bre- 
thren, and by your unwearied patience in bearing 
those persecutions, which the faithful disciples of 
Christ are perpetually called to endure from a cor- 
rupt world. Thus shall you honourably replace the 
first christian prelates, and happily restore the church 
to its primitive dignity. 



112 ¥HE PORTRAIT Gt ST. PAUL* 



TRAIT XXXIIL 

KIS PATIENCE AND FORTITUDE UNDER THE SEVE- 
REST TRIALS. 

"CHARITY is not easily provoked ;" but on 
the contrary thinketh no evil. Full of patience and 
meekness, Christ distinguished himself by his abun- 
dant love to those from whom he received the most 
cruel treatment. Thus also the ministers of Christ 
are distinguished, who, as they are more or less 
courageous and indefatigable in the work of the mi- 
nistry, are enabled to adapt the following declaration 
of St. Paul with more or less propriety : " Being 
reviled, we bless ; being persecuted, we suffer it ; 
being defamed, we entreat : we are made as the 
filth of the world, and are as the off-scouring of all 
things unto this day, Giving no offence in any 
thing, that the ministry be not blamed 5 but in all 
things approving ourselves, as the ministers of God 
in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in 
distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, 
in labours, in watchings, in fastings, by pureness by 
knowledge, by long-suffering, by kindness,, by the 
Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, by the word of 
truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righte- 
ousness on the right hand and on the left,*' which 
enables us to attack error and vice, while it shields 
us- from their assaults; " by honour and dishonour; 
by evil report and good report ; as deceivers, and 
yet true ; as unknown, and yet well known ; as dy- 
ing, and behold, we live ; as chastened, and not 
killed , as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing ; as poor,, 
yet making many rich ; as having nothing, and yet 
possessing all things." 

Far from being discouraged by the trials, which 
befal him, the true minister is disposed in such cir- 
cumstances to pray with the greater fervency ; and 



THE PORTRAIT OF. ST.. PAUL. 113 

according to the ardour and constancy of his prayers, 
such are the degrees of fortitude and patience, to 
which he attains. " We have not received," saith 
St. Paul, " the spirit of bondage again to fear ; but 
%ve have received the spirit of adoption, whereby 
we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself," amidst 
all our distresses, u beareth witness with our spirit, 
that we are the children of God. Likewise the Spirit 
also helpeth our infirmities. For we know not what 
we should pray for as we ought : but the Spirit it- 
self maketh intercession for us with groanings which 
cannot be uttered. I besought the Lord thrice 
that this trial might depart from me. And he 
said unto me, my grace is sufficient for thee : for 
my strength is made perfect in weakness. There- 
fore 1 take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in 
necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's 
sake : for when I am weak, then I am strong. I can 
do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth 
me." 

What an advantage, what an honour is it, to la- 
bour in the service of so gracious and powerful a 
Master ! By the power, with which he controuls the 
world, he overrules all things " for good to them, 
that love him." Their most pungent sorrows are 
succeeded by peculiar consolations ; the reproach 
of the cross prepares them for the honours of a 
crown ; and the flames in which they are sometimes 
seen to blaze, become like that chariot of fire, which 
conveyed Elijah triumphantly away from the fury 
©f Jezebel. 



114 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 



TRAIT XXXIV. 

HIS MODEST FIRMNESS BEFORE MAGISTRATES. 

SUPPORTED by a strong persua&jon, that 
God and truth are on his side, the faithful minis- 
ter is carried above all those disheartening fears, 
which agitate the hearts of worldly pastors. De~ 
pending upon the truth of that solemn prediction ; 
" They will deliver you up to the council, and ye 
shall be brought before governors and kings for my 
sake, for a testimony against them and the gen- 
tiles ;" he expects in times of persecution to ap- 
pear before magistrates, and possibly before kings, 
for the cause of Christ and his Gospel. Nor is he 
aiRicted at such a prospect. Relying on the pro- 
mise of that compassionate Redeemer, who once 
appeared for him before Annas and Caiaphas, He- 
rod and Pontius iPilate, without anxiously preme- 
ditating what he shall answer, and resting assured, 
that wisdom shall be given him in every time of 
need? he cries out with the holy determination of 
thePsalmist: u I will speak of thy testimonies also 
before kings, and will not be ashamed." 

When he is brought as a malefactor before the 
judge j while his accusers, actuated by malicious 
seal, agree to say*..." we have found this man a- 
pestilent fellow, a mover of sedition among the peo* 
pie," and one of the ringleaders of a new and dan- 
gerous sect ; he justifies himself by answering.*.* 
The witnesses, who appear against me this, day y 
neither found me trampling under foot the autho- 
rity of my superiors, nor sowing the seeds of sedi- 
tion among the people ; "neither can they prove the 
things whereof they now accuse me. But this I 
confess, that after the way, which they call heresy, 
so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all 
things, which are written in the Law and the Pro- 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL 115 

phets ; and have hope toward God, which they 
themselves allow, that there shall be a resurrection 
of the dead, both of the just and unjust." And 
supposing his accusers are not only deists, but pro- 
fessors of the christian faith, he will ^idd : This 
also I confess, that in conformity to those princi- 
ples, which pretended philosophers term supersti- 
tious, and which lukewarm christians call enthusi- 
astic, I believe not only " in God the Father Al- 
mighty, ° but also in Jesus Christ his only Son, 
whom I acknowledge to be " King of Kings, and 
Lord of Lords," and who, after having suffered for 
our sins, rose again for our justification. Further; 
I joyfully subscribe to that confession of faith, which 
is frequently in your own mouths.*.." I believe in 
the Holy Ghost," who regenerates and sanctifies 
every true member of the holy catholic church ; 
and I participate with those members the common 
advantages of our most holy faith, which are an 
humble consciousness " of the forgiveness of sins," 
a. lively hope of " the resurrection of the body," 
and a sweet anticipation of "everlasting life. And 
herein do I exercise myself, to have always a con- 
science void of offence toward God and toward 
men." If his judge already pejudiced against him, 
should unbecomingly join issue with his accnsers, 
and charge him with extravagance and fanaticism ; 
he will answer after St. Paul, with all due respect, 
M I am not mad : but speak forth the words of truth 
and soberness. And I would to God, that not only 
thou, but also all who hear me this day were alto- 
gether such as I am, except these bonds. 

After a pastor has had experience of these dif- 
ficult trials, he is then in a situation to confirm 
younger ministers in the manner of St. Paul.... 4 * I 
know, whom I have believed and I am persuaded, 
that he is able to keep, that which I have commit- 
ted unto him, against that day. At my first answer, 
no man stood with me ; but all men forsook me ; 



116 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and 
strengthened me ; that by me the preaching might 
be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might 
hear" the Gospel : " and I was delivered out of 
the mouth of the lion. And the Lord shall deli- 
ver me from every evil work, and will preserve 
me unto his Heavenly Kingdom : to whom be glory 
for ever and ever." 

Behold the inconveniences and dangers, to 
which not only christian pastors, but all, who follow 
the steps of the Apostle Paul, will be exposed in 
every place, where the bigoted or the incredulous 
occupy the first posts in church or state 1 And 
whether we are called to endure torments, or only 
to suffer reproach in the cause of truth, let us en- 
deavour to support the sufferings, that shall fall to 
our lot, with that resolution and meekness, of 
which St. Paul and his adorable Master have left 
us such memorable examples. 



TRAIT XXXV. 

HIS COURAGE IN CONSOLING HIS PERSECUTE© 
BRETHREN. 

PERSUADED, that « all, who will live god 
ly in Christ Jesus," and particularly his ministers 
" shall suffer persecution," the good pastor looks 
for opposition from every quarter : and whenever 
he suffers for the testimony he bears to the truths 
of the Gospel, he suffers not only with resolution, 
but with joy. 

The more the God of this degenerate world ex- 
alts himself in opposition to truth, the more he dis- 
poses every sincere heart for the reception of it. 
The Gospel is that everlasting rock, upon which 



THE PORTRAIT ST. PAUL. 117 

tiie church is founded, and against which the gates 
of Hell can never prevail : and though this rock is 
assailed by innumerable hosts of visible and invisible 
enemies, yet their repeated assaults serve only to 
demonstrate, with increasing certainty, its unsha- 
ken firmness and absolute impenetrability. A clear 
sight of the sovereign good, as presented to us in 
the Gospel, is sufficient to make it universally de- 
sirable. The vail of inattention, however, conceals 
m a great measure this sovereign good, and the 
mists of prejudice entirely obscure it. But by the 
inhuman conduct of the persecutors of Christianity, 
their false accusations, their secret plots, and their 
unexampled cruelty* these mists are frequently dis- 
sipated, and these vails rent in twain from th& top 
to the bottom. Error is by these means unwit- 
tingly exposed to the view of the world ; while 
every impartial observer attracted by the charms of 
persecuted truth, examines into its nature, ac- 
kowledges its excellence, and at length triumphs 
in the possession of that inestimable pearl, which 
he once despised. Thus the tears of the faithful 
andthe blood of confessors have been generally found 
to scatter and nourish the seed ofthe Kingdom. 

Ye zealous defenders of truth ! let not the seve- 
rest persecutions alarm your apprehension or wea- 
ken your confidence ; since every trial of this kind 
must necessarily terminate in your own advantage, 
as well as in the establishment and glory of the 
christian faith. Error, always accompanied with con- 
tradictions, and big with absurd codsequences, will 
shortly appear to be supported by no other prop, than 
that of prejudice or passion, or the despotism of ausur* 
ped authority, which renders itself odious by the 
very means employed for its support. The more the 
partisans of every false doctrine sound the alarm 
against you, the more they resemble a violent mul- 
titude opposing the efforts of a few, who are labour- 
ing to extinguish the fire that consumes their neigh- 



118 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL' 

hours' habitations: the different conduct of the one 
and the other must, sooner or later, manifest the in- 
cendiaries. Error may be compared to a vessel of 
clay, and truth to a vase of massy gold. In vain is 
calumny endeavouring to renderthe truth contempti- 
ble by overheaping it with every thing that is abo- 
minable ; in vain would prejudice give error an 
amiable appearance by artfully concealing its de- 
fects : for when ever the hand of persecution shall 
furiously hurl the latter against the former, the 
solid gold will sustain the shock unhurt, while the 
varnished clay shall be dashed in pieces. The ex- 
perience, however, of seventeen ages has not been 
sufficient to demonstrate to persecutors a truth so 
evident ; nor are there wanting inexperienced be- 
lievers in the church, who are ready to call it in 
question, and who, " when persecution ariseth be- 
cause of the word," are unhappily observed to lose 
their christian resolution. But, u why do the hea- 
then rage and the people imagine a vain thing, the 
kings of the earth stand up, and the rulers take 
counsel together against the Lord, and against his 
anointed? He that dwelleth in Heaven shall laugh 
them to scorn," and make their malice serve to the 
accomplishment of his great designs. 

Thus the Jews, in crucifying Christ, contributed 
to lay the grand foundation of the christian church ; 
and afterwards by persecuting the Apostle Paul to 
death, gave him an opportunity of bearing the 
torch to Rome, and even into the palaces of its em- 
perors. And it was from Rome itself, as from the 
jaws of a devouring lion, that he comforted the 
faithful who were ready to faint at his afflictions, 
and encouraged them to act in conformity to their 
glorious vocation. " I suffer trouble as an evil do- 
er, even unto bonds ; but the word of God is not 
bound. Therefore I endure all things for the elects' 
sake, that they may also obtain the salvation, which 
is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. It is a faith- 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 119 

ful saying ; For if we be dead with him, we shall 
also live- with him : if we suffer, we shall also reign 
with him : if we deny him, he also will deny us. 
Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of 
our Lord, nor of me his prisoner : but Ire thou par- 
taker of the afflictions of the Gospel, according to 
the power of God : who hath called us according 
to his own purpose and grace, which was given us 
in Christ Jesus, who hath abolished death, and 
hath brought life and immortality to light through 
the Gospel : whereunto I am appointed apreacher, 
and an Apostle, for the which cause I also suffer 
these things ; nevertheless, I am not ashamed. 
Thou, therefore, endure hardness, as a good sol- 
dier of Jesus Christ. 

Happy is the faithful minister of Christ amid 
all the severe afflictions to which he is sometimes 
exposed ! Though " troubled on every side," yet 
he is "not distressed ;" though "perplexed," yet 
" not in despair ;" though " persecuted," yet "not 
forsaken :" though " cast down," yet " not destroy- 
ed." All the violent attacks of his enemies must 
finally contribute to the honour of his triumph, 
while their flagrant injustice gives double lustre to 
the glorious cause, in which he suffers. 



TRAIT XXXVI. 

MIS HUMBLE CONFIDENCE IN PRODUCING THE SEALS 
OF HIS MINISTRY. 

A PASTOR must sooner or later, convert 
sinners, if he sincerely and earnestly calls them to 
repentance toward God, and faith in our Lord Jesus 
Christ. Nevertheles, though filled With indigna- 
tion against sin, with compassion toward the impe- 



120 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. |>A\JL. 

intent, and with gratitude to Christ, he should, like 
St. Paul, in proportion to his strength, wrestle 
with God by prayer, with sinners by exhortation, 
and with the flesh by abstinence ; yet even then, as 
much unequal to that Apostle, as he was unequal to 
his Master, he may reasonably despair of fre- 
quently beholding the happy effects of his evange- 
lical labours. But, if he cannot adopt the follow- 
ing apostolic language : " Thanks be unto God, 
who always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and 
maketh manifest, the savour of his knowledge by 
us in every place :" he will, at least, be able to 
say in his little sphere...." We are unto God a 
sweet savour of Christ, in them, that are saved, 
and in them, that perish : to the one we are the 
savour of death unto death ; and to the other, the 
savour of life unto life." If he has not, like St. 
Paul, planted new vines, he is engaged, with Appol- 
ios, in watering those, which are already planted; 
he is rooting up some withered cumberers of the 
ground, he is lopping off some unfruitful branches, 
and propping up those tender sprigs, which the 
tempest has beaten down. 

He would be the most unhappy of all faithful 
ministers, had he not some in his congregation, to 
whom he might with propriety address himself in the 
followingterms: " Do we need epistles ofcommenda- 
tion to you? Ye are manifestly declared to be the epis- 
tle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink, 
but with the Spirit of the living God ; not in tables 
of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart. Are 
not ye my work in the Lord ? If I be not an Apos- 
tle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you ; for the 
seal of mine Apostleship are ye in the Lord. For 
though ye have ten thousand instructers in Christ, 
yet have ye not many fathers : for in Christ Jesus 
have I begotten you through the Gospel. 

When a minister of the Gospel, after labouring 
for several years in the same place, is unacquainted 



THE FORTRAIT OF ST% PAUL. 121 

with any of his flock, to whom he might modestly 
hold the preceding language; it is to be feared, 
that he has laboured too much like the generality 
of pastors in the present day : since the word of 
God, when delivered with earnestness and without 
adulteration, is usually " quick and powerful, and 
sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even 
to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of 
the joints and marrow. He that hath my word, 
let him speak my word faithfully : what is the chaff 
to the wheat ? saith the Lord. Is not my word like 
a fire ; and like a hammer, that breaketh the rock 
in pieces ? Behold I am against them, that cause 
my people to err by their lies and by their light- 
ness : therefore they shall not profit this people at 
all, saith the Lord." 

Those ministers, who are anxious so to preach, 
and so to conduct themselves, as neither to trouble 
the peace of the formal, nor to alarm the fears of 
the impenitent, are undoubtedly the persons pecu- 
liarly alluded to in the following solemn passage of 
Jeremiah's prophecy : " Mine heart within me is 
broken, because of the prophets ; all my bones 
shake, because of the Lord, and because of the 
words of his holiness. For both prophet and priest 
are profane ; yea, in my house have I found their 
wickedness, saith the Lord. They walk in lies," 
either actually or doctrinally : " they strengthen 
also the hands of evil doers, that none doth return 
from his wickedness. From the prophets of Jeru- 
salem is prophaneness gone forth into all the land. 
They speak a vision of their own heart, and not 
cut of the mouth of the Lord. They say unto 
thtm that secretly despise me, The Lord hath 
said, ye shall have peace : and they say unto every 
one, that walketh after the imagination of his own 
heart, No evil shall come upon you. I have not 
sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spo- 
ken to them, yet they prophesied. But if they 

L 



122 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

had stood in my counsel, and had caused my peo- 
ple to hear my words, then they should have turn- 
ed them from their evil way, and from the evil of 
their doings." 

Behold the reason, why nothing can so much 
afflict a faithful minister, as not to behold from time 
to time, unfeigned conversions effected among the 
people by means of his ministry. The husband- 
man, after having diligently prepared and plenti- 
fully sowed his fields, is sensibly afflicted, when he 
sees the hopes of his harvest all swept away at once 
by a furious storm ; but he feels not so lively a 
sorrow as the charitable pastor, who after having 
liberally scattered around him the seeds of wis- 
dom and piety, beholds his parish overrun with the 
noxious weeds of vanity and vice. If Nabals are 
still intoxicated ; if Cains are still implacable ; if 
Ananiases are still deceitful, and Sapphiras still 
prepared to favour their deceit ; if Marthas are 
still cumbered with earthly cares ; if Dinahs are 
still exposing themselves to temptation, even to the 
detriment of their honour, and to the loss of that 
little relish, which they once discovered for piety ; 
and if the formal still continue to approach God 
with their lips while their hearts are far from 
him.. ..a good pastor at the sight of these things is 
pierced through with many sorrows, and feels, in 
a degree, what Elijah, felt, when, overburdened 
with fatigue and chagrin, " he sat down under a 
juniper tree, and said ; It is enough ; now, O Lord, 
take away my life : for I am not better than my 
fathers." 

Indifference, in a matter of so great importance, 
is one of the surest marks by which an unworthy 
pastor may be discerned. Of what consequence 
is it to a worldly minister, whether the flock, about 
which he takes so little trouble, is composed of 
sheep or goats ? lie seeks not so much to benefit 
his people, as to discharge the more exterior duties 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 123 

of his office in such a way, as may not incur the 
censure of his superiors in the church, who, pos- 
sibly, are not a whit less lukewarm than himself! 
And if a tolerable party of his unclean Hock do 
but disguise themselves three or four times in a 
year, for the purpose of making their appearance 
at the sacramental table, he is perfectly satisfied 
with the good order of his parish; especially, when 
the most detestable vices, such as extortion, theft, 
adultery, or murder, are not openly practiced in 
it. This outward kind of decency, which is so sa- 
tisfactory to the worldly minister, and which is 
ordinarily effected by the constraining force of the 
civil laws, rather than by the truths of the Gospel* 
affords the faithful pastor but little consolation. 
He is solicitous to see his people hungering and 
thirsting after righteousness, working out their 
salvation with fear and trembling, and engaging in 
all the duties of Christianity, with as much eager- 
ness, as the children of the world pursue their 
shameful pleasures or trifling amusements : and if 
he has not yet enjoyed this satisfaction, he humbles 
himself before God, and anxiously enquires after 
the reason of so great an unhappiness. He is con- 
scious, that if his ministry is not productive of 
good fruit, the sterility of the word must flow from 
one or other of the following causes... .either he 
does not publish the Gospel in its full latitude and 
purity, in a manner sufficiently animating, or in 
simplicity and faith : perhaps he is not careful to 
second his zealous discourses by an exemplary con- 
duct : perhaps he -is negligent in imploring the 
blessing of God upon his public and private la- 
bours : or probably his hearers may have con- 
ceived inveterate prejudices against him, which 
make them inattentive to his most solemn exhorta- 
tions ; so that instead of being received among 
them as an ambassador of Christ, he can apply to 
himself the proverb, formerly cited by his rejected 



124 



THE PORTRAIT 0£ ST. PAUL, 



Master ; " No prophet is accepted in his own coun- 
try," where he is accustomed to be seen without 
ceremony, and heard without curiosity. If the fault 
appears to be on his own side, he endeavours to 
apply the most speedy and efficacious remedies, 
redoubling his public labours, and renewing his se- 
cret supplications with more than ordinary fervour 
of spirit. But if, after repeated trials, he is con- 
vinced, that his want of success chiefly flows from 
the invincible hatred of his flock to the truths of 
the Gospel, or from the sovereign contempt, 
which his parishioners manifest both for his person 
and his labours ; he is then justified in following 
the example of his unerring Master, who refu- 
sed to exercise his ministry in those places where 
prejudice had locked up the hearts of the people 
against the reception of his evangelical precepts. 

When, in such a situation, a pastor is fearful of 
following the example of our Lord, lest he should 
be left destitute of a maintenance, in how deplora- 
ble a state must he drag through the wearisome 
days of a useless life ! If every sincere christian 
is ready to take up his cross, to quit friends and 
possessions, to renounce life itself, on account of 
the Gospel ; can we consider that minister, as a 
man really consecrated to the service of Christ, 
who has not resolution sufficient to give up a house, 
a garden, and a salary, when the welfare of his 
own soul and the interests of the church requires 
such a sacrifice ? 

When a preacher of the Gospel counts less 
upon the promises of his Master, than upon the 
revenues of his benefice, may we not reasonably 
conclude, that he is walking in the footsteps of Ba- 
laam, rather than of St. Paul? And is it for such a 
man, to declare the statutes of the Lord, or to re- 
cite the words of his covenant ? Attempting, to pub- 
lish, before he effectually believes, the truths of the 
Gospel I And has he not affront of brass, when, 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 125 

with the dispositions of a Demas, he mounts the 
pulpit, to celebrate the bounty of that God, who 
supplies the little wants of " sparrows, who feeds 
the young ravens that call upon him," opening his 
hand and filling " all things with living plenteous- 
ness I*' Let such a one consider, that the character 
of a virtuous preceptor, or an honest tradesman, is 
abundantly more honourable than that of a merce- 
nary priest. 

Ingeneral, it may be reasonably supposed, that if 
a pastor faithfully exercises his ministry in any place, 
to which he has been appointed by the providence 
of God, he will either benefit those among whom 
he is called to labour, or his hardened hearers will, 
at length, unite to drive him from among them, as 
the inhabitants of Nazareth forced Jesus away from 
their ungrateful city. Or if he should not be for- 
cibly removed from his post, as was the case of our 
Lord in the country of the Gadarenes, yet believing 
it incumbent upon him to retire from such a part, 
he will seek out some other place in his Master's 
vineyard, that shall better repay the pains of culti- 
vation ; whatever such a removal may cost him in 
the judgment of the world. And, indeed, such a 
mode of conduct was positively prescribed by our 
Lord to his first ministers, in the following solemn 
charge : " Into whatsoever city or town ye shall en- 
ter, enquire who in it is worthy. And whosoever 
shall not receive you, nor hear your words ; when," 
slighted and reproached by its unworthy inhabitants, 
ye are constrained to "depart out of that house or 
city," shake off the dust of your feet, as a testimony 
against those, who prefer the maxims of the world 
before the precepts of the Gospel. 

If any pastor refuses to adopt this method of 
proceeding, after patience has had its perfect work; 
if he still fears to give up an establishment, as the 
sons-in-law of Lot were afraid of forsaking their 
possessions in Sodom, he then acts in direct oppo- 

l 2 



126 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 



silion to the command of Christ; he obstinately oc- 
cupies the place of a minister, against whom, very 
probably, less prejudice might be entertained, and 
whose ministry, of consequence, would be more 
likely to produce some salutary effect ; he loses his 
time in casting pearls before swine ; and instead of 
converting his parishioners, he only aggravates 
the condemnation due to their obduracy. 

The faithful pastor, however, is not soon discou- 
raged, though he beholds no beneficial conse- 
quences of his ministry. His unbounded charity 
suffers, hopes, and labours long, without fainting. 
The more sterile the soil appears, which he is called 
to cultivate, the more he waters it, both with his 
tears and with the sweat of his brow ; the more he im- 
plores for it " the dew of Heaven," and the influ- 
ences of that divine Sun, which spreads light and 
life through every part of the church. It is not, 
therefore, (let it be repeated) till after patience has 
had its perfect work, that a conscientious minister 
takes the final resolution of quitting his post, in or- 
der to seek out some other situation, in which his 
labours may be attended with greater profit. 



TRAIT XXXVII. 

HIS READINESS TO SEAL WITH, HIS BLOOD THE 
TRUTHS OF THE GOSPEL. 

HE, who is not yet prepared to die for his 
Lord, has not yet received u that perfect love," 
which " casteth out fear ;" and it is a matter of 
doubt, whether any preacher is worthy to appear 
in a pulpit* whose confidence in the truths of the 
Gospel is not strong enough to dispose him, in cer- 
tain situations, to seal those truths with his blood. If 
he really shrinks from the idea of dying in the cause 



\ 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. . 127 

of Christianity, is it for him to publish a'Saviour, 
who is " the resurrection and the life I" And may- 
he not be said to play with his conscience, his au- 
ditors, and his God, if, while he is the slave of sin 
and fear, he presents himself as a witness of the sal- 
vation of that omnipotent Redeemer, who, "through 
death, has destroyed him, that had the power of 
death ;" and who, by his resurrection, has " deli- 
vered them, who through fear of death, were all 
their life-time subject to bondage. Love," in the 
language of Solomon, " is strong as death :" but 
the true minister glows with that fervent love to 
Christ and his brethren, which is abundantly 
stronger than those fears of death, which would 
prevent him, in times of persecution, from the 
faithful discharge of his ministerial functions. 
Such was the love of St. Paul, when he cried out to 
those, who would have dissuaded him from the dan- 
gerous path of duty ; u What mean ye to w r eep, and 
to break mine heart ? for I am ready, not to be 
bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the 
name of the Lord Jesus. And now, behold, I go 
bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing 
the things that shall befal me there : save that the 
Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying, that 
bonds and afflictions abide me. But none of these 
things move me, neither count I my life dear unto 
myself, so that 1 may finish my course with joy, and 
the ministry which I have received of the Lord Je- 
sus. For I know, that this shall turn to my salvation, 
through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of 
Jesus Christ : according to my earnest expectation, 
that Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether 
it be by life or by death. For me to live is Christ, 
and to die is gain. And if I be offered upon the 
sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy and rejoice 
with you all." 

Thus u The good shepherd giveth his life for 
the sheep : but he that is an hireling, and not the 



128 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

shepherd, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the 
sheep, and fleeth ; and the wolf catcheth them, and 
scattereth the sheep." Happy is that church, whose 
pastor is prepared to tread in the steps of " the 
great shepherd and bishop of souls I" St. Paul 
would not have been ashamed to acknowledge such 
a one, as his companion and fellow-labourer in the 
work of the Lord. 



TRAIT XXXVIII. 

THE SWEET SUSPENSE OF HIS CHOICE BETWEEN 

LIFE AND DEATH. 

WHATEVER desire the faithful pastor may 
have to be with Christ, and to rest from his labours ; 
yet he endures with joy his separation from the per- 
son of his Saviour, through the sacred pleasure he 
experiences in the service of his members. The 
sweet equilibrium, in which his desire was sus- 
pended between life and death, is thus expressed 
by the Apostle Paul : " We know, that if our 
earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we 
have a building of God, an house not made with 
hands, eternal in the Heavens. For in this we 
groan earnestly ; desiring to be clothed upon with 
our house, which is from Heaven : knowing that 
whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent 
from the Lord. Yet, what 1 shall choose, I wot 
not. For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a 
desire to depart, and to be with Christ ; which is 
far better : nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more 
needful for you. And having this confidence, I 
know, that I shall abide and continue with you all, 
for your furtherance and joy of faith. " 

It is chiefly, when believers have the unconquer- 
able love of St. Paul, " that all things work together 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 129 

for their good." Whether they live, or whether 
they die, every occurrence turns out a matter of fa- 
vour. If they live ; it is, that they may support 
their companions in tribulation, and insure to them- 
selves a greater reward, by maintaining for a longer 
season, the victorious fight of faith. ...if they die ; 
it is, that they may rest from their labours, and come 
to a more perfect enjoyment of their Master's pre- 
sence. "Blessed are the dead, which die in the 
Lord : they rest from their labours, and their works 
do follow them." And in the mean-time, blessed 
are the living, who live in the Lord : for they are 
honourably engaged in those important conflicts, 
which will daily add to their spiritual strength, and 
augment the brilliancy of their final triumph. 



TRAIT XXXIX. 

THE CONSTANCY OF HIS ZEAL AND DILIGENCE TO 
THE END OF HIS COURSE, 

LIVING or dying the faithful servant of 
Christ never acts unworthy of his character. 
" Blameless and harmless in the midst of a crooked 
and perverse generation, a child of God, without 
rebuke, he shines," to the end of hrs course, " as 
a light in the world." He beholds death, whether 
it be natural or violent, always without fear, and ge- 
nerally with pleasure, regarding it as a messenger 
appointed for his safe conduct into that glorious 
state, where they rejoice together, who have con- 
tinued faithful to the end. He is anxious only, 
that his Lord may find him occupied in the grand 
business, he was commissioned to perform : and 
the nearer his hour approaches, the more earnest he 
is, that he may finish his ministry with joy. If he 



130 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 



is no longer able to exhort the brethren in person, 
he writes to them in the manner of St. Peter : " I 
will not be negligent to put you always in remem- 
brance of these things," the doctrines, precepts, 
threatening^, and promises of the Gospel, " though 
ye know them, and be established in the present 
truth. Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this 
tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in re- 
membrance ; knowing, that shortly I must put off 
this tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath 
shewn me." He desires at such a season, to ad- 
dress the faithful, and especially young ministers, 
as St. Paul addressed the Corinthians and Timo- 
thy : " My beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, un- 
moveable, always abounding in the work of the 
Lord ; forasmuch as ye know that your labour is 
not in vain in the Lord. Thou," Timothy, " hast 
fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, 
faith, long-suffering, charity, patience, persecu- 
tions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at 
Iconium, at Lystra ; what persecutions I endured ; 
but out of them all the Lord delivered me. Yea, 
and all, that will live godly in Christ Jesus, shall 
suffer persecution. But watch thou in all things, 
endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, 
make full proof of thy ministry ; for I am now 
ready to be offered, and the time of my departure 
is at hand." 

Thus triumphantly St. Paul advanced toward 
the end of his course. And thus the faithful minis- 
ter, pouring fresh oil into his lamp as the night 
advances, goes forth to meet his approaching God, 
whom his faith already considers as a faithful 
Judge, and his hope as a munificent Re warder. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 131 



TRAIT XL. 

HIS TRIUMPH OVER THE EVILS OF LIFE, AND THE 
TERRORS *F DEATH. 

THE living faith, that sustains a good pas- 
tor, or a believer m Christ, amid all the difficulties 
and afflictions of life, causes him more especially to 
triumph at the approach of death in all its terrific 
appearances. Ever filled with an humble confidence 
in him, who is the Resurrection and the Life, he 
frequently expresses the assurance of his victorious 
faith, at this solemn season, in the manner of St. 
Paul : " Thanks be unto God, which always causeth 
us to triumph in Christ. Knowing, that he, who 
raised up the Lord Jesus, shall raise up us also by 
Jesus, and shall present us with you ; therefore, we 
faint not : but though our outward man perish, yet 
the inward man is renewed day by day. For our 
light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh 
out for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight 
of glory." Thus holding up the shield of faith, to 
quench the fiery darts of the wicked one, and to re* 
ceive the piercing arrows of the angel of death, he 
expects his last hour without fear or impatience ; 
cheerfully leaving the time, the place, the manner, 
and the circumstances of this concluding trial, to 
the disposal of that God, whose wisdom, goodness, 
and power, are all combined to insure him the vic- 
tory. Whether he is called by the providence of 
God, in a chamber, or upon a bcanbld, to taste the 
bitter cup, of which his master drank so deeply, he 
prepares himself to accompany a sufferiag Saviour, 
encouraged with the hope, that he shall not be 
tempted above his strength, and that, if he suffers 
and dies with the King of glory, he shall also rise 
and reign together with him. 



132 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

At length the fatal shaft is thrown, whether by 
accident, by disease, or by the hand of an execu- 
tioner is of little consequence ; the true christian, 
prepared for all events, sees and submits to the or- 
der of providence He receives the mortal blow, 
either with humble resignation, or with holy joy. In 
the first case, his soul is sweetly disengaged from its 
earthly tabernacle, while he breathes out the sup- 
plicatory language of happy Simeon : " Lord, now 
lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, for mine 
eyes have seen thy salvation. " But in the second 
case, he leaves the worl 1 in a state of holy triumph, 
crying out in the fullest assurance of faith.. ..my 
persuasion takes place of sight, and without the 
help of vision I endure as seeing him that is invisible ; 
as effectually sustained, as though contemplating 
with Stephen an open Heaven, I saw the Son of 
Man standing at the right hand of God, ready to 
save and glorify my soul. Of these two manners 
of holy dying, the most enviable appears to have 
been the lot of St. Paul, if we may judge from the 
anticipated triumph he describes in several of his 
epistles, and particularly in the last he addressed to 
Timothy from Rome, where he received the crown 
of martyrdom. I desire to depart and to be with 
Christ, for whom I have suffered the loss of all 
things, and do count them but dung, that I may 
know him and the power of his resurrection, and the 
fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable 
unto his death. I have fought a good fight, I have 
finished my course, I have kept the faith. Hence- 
forth there is laid up for me a crown of righteous- 
ness which the Lord, the righteous Judge shall give 
me at that day : to whom be glory for ever and 
ever. Who shall separate us from the love of 
Christ ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, 
or the sword ? Nay, in all these things we are more 
than conquerors through him, that loved us. For 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAtJL. 133 

I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor 
Angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things 
present, nor things to come, nor height nor depth, 
nor any other creature shall be able to separate 
us from the love of God, which is m Chribt Je- 
sus, O death where is thy sting? O grave, where 
is thy victory ? Thanks be to God, who giveth us 
the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 

Thus the great Apostle v/ent forth to meet hi3 
last trial, counting it an honour to suffer in the 
cause of truth, and rejoicing in hope of the glory 
of God. The enemies of Christianity rendered him 
at last conformable to Christ in his death ; but 
while they severed his head from his body, they 
united his happy spirit more intimately to that ex- 
alted Jesus, who had once met him in the way, and 
who now was waiting to receive him, at the end of 
his course* Happy are the faithful, who, like this 
faithful Apostle, live unto the Lord i yet happier 
they, who, like him, are enabled to die unto the 
Lord i " Their works do follow them," while " they 
rest from their labours," and wait, in peace, the re- 
surrection, and the sublime rewards of the righ- 
teous* 



J* 



TMI 



PORTRAIT 



OF 



LUKEWARM MINISTERS. 



AND 



FALSE APOSTLES. 



THE 



PORTRAIT, 



Of 



SAINT PAUL, &c. 



CHAPTER I. 

THE PORTRAIT OF LUKEWARM MINISTERS. 

THE essence of painting consists in a hap- 
py mixture of light and shade, from the contrast of 
which an admirable effect is produced, and the 
animated figure made to rise from the canvass. 
Upon this principle we shall oppose to the portrait 
of St. Paul, that of lukewarm ministers and false 
apostles, whose gloomy traits will form a back- 
ground peculiarly adapted to set off the character 
of an eyangelical pastor. 

If the primitive church was disturbed and mis* 
led by unfaithful ministers, it may be reasonably 
presumed, that, in this more degenerate period of 
its existence, the church of Gop must be miserably 
overrun with teachers of the same character. There 
is, however, no small number of ministers, who 
form a kind of medium between zealous 'pastors 
and false apostles. These irresolute evangelists 

51 2 



13S 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 



are sincere to a certain point. They have some 
desire after the things of God, but are abundantly 
more solicitous for the things of the world : They 
form good resolutions in the cause of their ac- 
knowledged Master, but are timid and unfaithful, 
when called upon actual service. They are some- 
times actuated by a momentary zeal, but generally 
influenced by servile fear. They have no experi- 
ence of that ardent affection and that invincible 
courage, with which St. Paul was animated. Their 
wisdom is still carnal ; they still confer with flesh 
and blood. Such was Aaron, who yielded, through 
an unmanly weakness, to the impious solicitations 
of his people. Such was Jonah, when he refused 
to exercise his ministry at Nineveh. That this 
prophet was possesed of a confidence in God, and 
a desire for the salvation of his fellow-creatures, 
we have every reason to believe : but we find, that 
neither the one, rror the other, was sufficiently 
powerful to engage him in a service, which appear- 
ed likely to endanger his reputation among men* 
Such were also the Apostles before they were en- 
dued with power from on high.. To every pastor 
of this character, that expression of Christ, which 
was once addressed to the most courageous man 
among his disciples, may be considered as peculiar- 
ly applicable s " Thou art an offence unto me, for 
thou savourest not the things that be of God, but. 
those, that be of men*" 

Lukewarmness, false prudence and timidity, are 
the chief characteristics, by which ministers of this, 
class may be distinguished. Perceiving the excel- 
lence of the Gospel in an obscure point of view, and 
having little experience of its astonishing effects, 
they cannot possibly discover that religious zeal, 
which is indispensibly necessary to the character 
they affect to sustain. 

The pious Bishop Massillon gives the following 
representation of these unqualified teachers, and 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 159 

the ill effects of their unfaithfulness. " Manners 

" are every day becoming more corrupt among us, 

" because the zeal of ministers is daily becoming* 

" colder ; and because there are found among us 

t; few apostolical men, who oppose themselves, as 

u a brazen wall, to the torrent of vice. For the 

" most part, we behold the wicked altogether at 

" ease in their sins, for the want of hearing more 

" frequently those thundering voices, which accom- 

" panied with the spirit of God, would effectually 

" rouse them from their awful slumber. The want 

M of zeal, so clearly discernable among pastors, is 

H chiefly owing to that base timidity which is not 

" hardy enough to make a resolute stand against 

" common prejudice, and which regards the worth- 

<; less approbation of men, beyond their eternal in- 

i: terests. That must needs be a worldly and 

" criminal consideration, which makes us more 

M anxious for our own glory, than for the glory of 

" God. That must truly be fleshly wisdom, which 

" can represent religious zeal under the false ideas 

11 of excess, indiscretion and temeritv : a pretext 

M this, which nearly extinguishes every spark of 

" zeal in the generality of ministers. This want of 

" courage they honour with the specious names of 

u moderation and prudence. Under pretence of not 

" carrying their zeal to an excess, they are content 

" to be entirely destitute of it. And while they are 

" solicitous to shun the rocks of imprudence and 

<; precipitation, they run, without fear, upon the 

" sands of indolence and cowardice. They desire 

u to become useful to sinners, and at the same time, 

H. to be had in estimation by them. They long 

H to manifest such a zeal as the world is disposed 

" to applaud. They are anxious so to oppose the 

M passions of men, that they may yet secure their 

" praises ; so to condemn the vices they love, that 

" they may still be approved by those they con- 

H demn. But when we probe a wound to the bot- 



140 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL* 

" torn, we must expect to awaken a degree of pee- 
" vishness in the patient, if we do not extort from 
him some bitter exclamation. " 

" Let us not deceive ourselves/' continues the 
same author ; " if that apostolical zeal, which once 
" converted the world, is become so rare among us, 
iC it is because, in the discharge of our sacred func- 
" tions, we seek ourselves, rather than the glory of 
« Christ, and the salvation of souls. Glory and 
« infamy were regarded by the apostle with equal 
" indifference, while he filled up the duties of his 
" important office. He knew it impossible to 
" please men, and to save them ; to be the servant of 
" the world, and the servant of Christ. Neverthe- 
" less, there are many among us, who are seek* 
" ing to unite these different services, which the 
" apostle believed to be irreconcileable." 

Mons. Roques agrees with the pious bishop in 
condemning those ministers, who neglect to copy 
the example of St. Paul. " The little piety, that is 
".to beibund among ministers/* says this excellent 
writer, " is the most effectual obstacle to the pro- 
" gress of the Gospel* By piety,! mean that sincere 
" and ardent love for religion, which deeply inte- 
" rests a man in all its concerns, as well as in every 
" thing, that respects the glory of God, and of our 
" Lord Jesus Christ. If this divine love was found 
" reigning in the hearts of those who proclaim 
"Christ ; if every preacher of the Gospel was en- 
" abled to say with the sincerity of Peter, Lord ! 
" thou knowest all things ; thou knowest that I love 
" thee : thou knowest, that I have no ambition but 
" for thy glory, and that my highest pleasure con- 
" sists in beholding the increase of thy kingdom...*. 
" we should then perceive the word of God in their 
" hands, like a two-edged sword, cutting asunder 
" the very deepest roots of sin. But as the Gospel 
" is preached more through contention, through 
u vain glory, and through the desire of getting % 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 141 

" livelihsod by serving at the altar, than through 
" an ardent zeal to advance the glory of God ; 
"hence it is, that ministers fall into various errors, 
" giving evident proofs of that indolence and un- 
" concern, which afford matter of scandal rather 
** than of edification." 

Mons. Ostervald speaks the same language in 
his " Third source of the corruption which reigns 
among christians. " " A great part of our ecclesias- 
u tics," says this writer, " may be justly charged 
K with the corruption of the people, since there are 
" among them many, who oppose the re-establish- 
" ment of a holy discipline, while others render 
u the exercise of it totally useless, by an ill-timed 
" softness, and a shameful indulgence. " 

u I except those," continues this venerable pas- 
tor, " who ought to be excepted. But, on a gene- 
" ral view, in what do ecclesiastics differ from 
u other men ? Do they distinguish themselves by 
" an exemplary life ? Their exterior, indeed, is 
" somewhat different : They lead a more retired 
u life ; they, in some degree, save appearances ; 
" though all do not go thus far. But, beyond this, 
" are they not equally attached to the world ; as 
" much engaged with earthly things, as wholly ta- 
iC ken up with secular views, as constantly actuated 
" by interest and passion as the generality of man- 
" kind." 

Christian prudence required, that these por- 
traits of lukewarm ministers should be exhibited, 
as the designs of pastors, who have been eminent 
for their piety, their rank, and experience, and 
who, on that aceount, had a peculiar right to de- 
clare those truths, which might give greater of- 
fence, were they to come from less respectable per- 
sons. 



U2 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST* PAUJU 



CHAP. II. 

THE PORTRAIT OF FALSE APOSTLES. 

BETWEEN the state of careless ministers, 
and false apostles, there is not, in reality, so vast a 
difference as many are apt to imagine. An un- 
worthy labourer in the spiritual vineyard, gives 
speedy proof of a lukewarm temper, in the service 
of his Lord ; shortly after, his heart becomes en- 
tirely cold with respect to piety, and what is still 
more lamentable, he frequently manifests as warm 
a zeal for error and vice, as the true minister can 
possibly discover in the cause of truth and virtue. 
Such is the state of those who may properly be 
termed preachers of the third class, and who are 
spoken of by St. Paul under the title of false apos- 
tles. 

These unworthy ministers are known by their 
works. Like many of St. Paul's unfaithful fellow- 
labourers, they prefer the repose and pleasure of 
the world, before the service and reproach of 
Christ. Like Judas and Simon the sorcerer, they 
love the honours and revenues of ministers, while 
they abhor the cresses and labours of the ministry. 
Like Hophni, and Phinehas, they are " sons of 
Belial, and know not the Lord. Their sin is ve- 
ry great before the Lord : for," on their account, 
many "abhor the offering of the Lord." Like the 
wicked servant, described by their reputed Master, 
instead of providing " meat for his household in 
due season," they begin to smite, or to persecute 
those of their fellow-servants, who are intent upon 
discharging their several duties ; while they pass 
away their time in mirth and festivity with the ri- 
otous and the drunken. They may justly be com- 
pared to lamps extinguished in the temple of God. 
" Instead of shining there to his praise/ 1 says 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 143 

bishop Massillon, "they emit black clouds of smoke, 
" which obscure every object about them, and be- 
u come a savour of death to those, who perish. 
" They are pillars of the sanctuary, which being 
" over-thrown and scattered in public places, be- 
" come stones of stumbling to every heedless pas- 
€i senger. They are the salt of the earth, and were 
" appointed to preserve souls from corruption ; but 
" having lost all their savour, they begin to cor- 
" rupt what they were intended to preserve." They 
are physicians, who carry to their patients infection 
instead of health. From the spiritually diseased, 
they withhold the healing word of God, while they 
distribute among them the dangerous poison of a 
lax morality, setting before them an example of 
bitter zeal against the truth, puffing them up with 
that wisdom, which " is earthly, sensual, and de- 
vilish." 

" A false pastor," says, Mons. Roques, or a false 
apostle, " is a minister whose heart is not right be- 
u before God, and who lives not in such a manner 
" as to edify his flock. He knows the holy course 
" of life, to which christians in general, and minis- 
" ters in particular, are called ; but, in spite of all 
**. his knowledge and his apparent zeal, he fears not 
" to trample under foot those very maxims of the 
" Gospel, which he has publicly established and 
44 preached with the utmost energy. Every day 
u he performs acts of the most detestable hypoc- 
" risy. Every time he preaches and censures, he 
- u bears open testimony against his own conduct': but 
" he publicly accuses, without ever intending to cor- 
" rect himself. He is a constant declaimer against 
" vice, in the pulpit ; but a peculiar protector of it, 
" while he is engaged in the common concerns of 
" life. While he exhorts his hearers to repentance, 
" he either imagines himself above those laws, 
" which he proposes to others on the part of God ; 
"or he believes himself under no other necessity of 



144 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 1 

a holding them forth, except his known engage- 
" ment to such a work, and the salary he receives 
" for the performance of it." 

Mons. Ostervald, in a work already referred to, 
makes mention of these pastors in the following 
terms. " How many do we see, who regard their 
" holy vocation in no other light, than the means of 
" procuring for them a comfortable maintenance. 
" Are there not many, who bring a scandal upon 
41 their profession, by the licentiousness of their 
" manners? Do we not see them hasty and outrage- 
" ous ? Do we not observe in them an extreme at- 
tachment to their own interests? Are they care- 
" ful to rule their families well ? Has it not been a 
" subject of complaint, that they are puffed up with 
<* pride, and are implacable in their hatred ! I say 
" nothing of many other vices and defects, which 
" are equally scandalous in the clergy, such as vain 
" and loose conversation, an attachment to diversion 
" and pleasure, a worldly disposition, slothfulness, 
H craft, injustice, and slander. 

" It is impossible to find a person," adds Mons. 
Ostervald, " surrounded with more powerful motives 
M to piety than a man, whose ordinary occupation is 
« to meditate upon religious things, to discourse of 
xi them among others, to reprove vice and hypocri- 
" sy, to perform divine service, to administer the 
¥ holy sacraments, to visit the afflicted and the dy- 
" ing ; and who must one day render to God an ac- 
« count of the souls committed to his charge* I 
" know not, whether it be possible to find any 
" stronger marks of impiety and hypocrisy, than 
" those, which may be discovered in the character 
U of a person, who, in the midst of all these favour- 
" able circumstances, is, nevertheless, an unrigh- 
" teous man. Such a one may be said to divert 
" himself with the most sacred things of religion, 
" and to spend the whole of hislifein performing the 
« part of an impostor :..,. And this he does to his 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL* 145 

b cost : since there is no profession in the world, 
4i that will more effectually secure a sentence of con- 
" demnation than that of the priesthood, when ex- 
" ercised in so unfaithful a manner," 

But it is chiefly in the holy scriptures, where 
these unworthy pastors are pourtrayedi n so strong 
a point of view, that every enquirer may readily 
discern their distinguishing features. Son of man, 
" saith the Lord, prophesy against the shepherds 
of Israel, and say unto them : Ye eat the fat, and 
ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are 
fed ; but ye feed not the fiock. The diseased have 
ye not strengthened, neither have ye bound up that 
which was broken, neither have ye brought again 
that which was driven away, neither have ye sought 
that which was lost : but with force and with cru- 
elty have ye ruled them. Therefore thus saith the 
Lord God, behold 1 am against the shepherds: and 
I will require my flock at their hand. As Jannes 
and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also 
resist the truth i men of corrupt minds, reprobate 
concerning the faith. Woe unto them ; for they 
have gone in the way of Cain, and run greedily after 
the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the 
gain-saying of Koran. Clouds they are without 
water, carried about of winds, trees without fruit, 
twice dead, plucked up by the roots ; raging waves 
of the sea, foaming out their own shame ; wander- 
ing stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of dark- 
ness for ever." 

St. John has not only drawn the character, but 
has likewise given us the name of a certain tyran- 
nical teacher, who began to disturb the peace of the 
primitive church. I wrote unto the church," saith 
he to Gaius, concerning the reception of stranger 
evangelists: "but Diotrephes, who loveth to have 
the pre-eminence among them, receiveth us not. If 
I come I will remember his deeds, which he doth, 
prating against us with. malicious words: and not 



145 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 



content therewith, neither doth he himself receive 
the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and 
casteth them out of the church." Behold a striking 
description of proud and persecuting ecclesiastics ! 

But, perhaps, the 'most complete description of 
these persons is given by our Lord himself, where 
he treats of worthless pastors, in general, under the 
particular names of scribes and pharisees. Here, a 
divine and impartial hand delineates the jealousy, 
the pride, the feigned morality, the malice, and the 
persecuting spirit, which characterize this class of 
men in every age of the world. " Do not ye, saith 
Christ, after their works : for they say and do not. 
All their works they do to be seen of men. They 
love the chief seats in the synagogues, and greet- 
ings in the markets. Woe unto you, hypocrites ! 
for ye shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against 
men ; ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye 
them, that are entering, to go in. Ye neglect judg- 
ment, mercy and faith. Ye outwardly appear righ- 
teous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy 
and iniquity. Because ye garnish the sepulchres of 
the righteous," ye vainly imagine yourselves free 
from a persecuting spirit, while in other matters, as 
" the children of them which killed the prophets," 
ye are labouring to " fill up the measure of your 
fathers. Behold I send unto you prophets" and 
zealous preachers of the word, " and some of them 
ye shall kill, and some of them ye shall persecute 
from city to city." 

We need take but a cursory view of the new tes- 
tament, for sufficient proof, that these worldly- 
minded scribes and these furious bigots above re- 
presented, where the very persons, who pursued the 
first evangelists with such deadly rancour. Nay, 
had it not been for Annas and Caiaphas, Herod and 
Pilate would silently have permitted the preaching 
of Jesus himself. These who were the chief men 
in the state, after refusing to embrace the word of 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 147 

God, on their own part, would most probably have 
contented themselves, with denying its truths, and 
ridiculing its follewers: but they would never have 
passed asentence of death, upon persons o£so admira- 
ble a character, as Christ and his fore-runner. 

The peculiar opposers of Jesus and his disciples, 
were powerfully influenced by jealous pride; and 
with the same malignant disposition, every false 
apostle in the christian church is deeply infected. 
The prelate, whose pen we have already borrowed, 
gives the following lively description of this un- 
happy temper* " This despicable jealousy not 
" only dishonours zeal, but supposes it extinguished 
" in the heart. It is an infamous disposition which 
" amicts itself even for the conversion of sinners, and 
« for the progress of the Gospel, when it is through 
" the ministry of others, that God is pleased to work 
* these miracles. The glory of God seldom inte- 
« rests us so much, as when our own glory appears 
" to be mingled with his. We endure, with some 
" kind of regret, that God should be glorified : and 
" I will dare to add, that some of us could behold our 
" brethren perishing, with pleasure, rather than 
" see them rescued from death, by other labours 
? and other talents than our own. St. Paul rejoiced 
" to see the Gospel spread abroad, though it were by 
« the ministry of those, who sought to disgrace .him 
" among the faithful ; and Moses desired, that all his 
" brethren might receive the gift of prophecy : but 
" we are anxious to stand alone, and to share with no 
" person the glory and success of the holy ministry, 
" Every thing that eclipses our own brightness, or 
" shines too near us, becomes insupportable, and we 
" appear to regard the gifts of God in others, merely 
"as a Shame and reproach to ourselves. " Observe 
here the true source of those specious pretexts, 
which are professedly drawn from the order, the 
customs, and even from the prejudices of the world: 
pretexts under which we dare to oppose the zeal of 



14S 



THE PORTRAIT OT ST. FAUL. 



our brethren, to withstand the word of God in its 
course, and to render the cross of the ministry more 
burthensome to those, who carry it further than we 
are disposed to do. One distinguishing mark of 
these turbulent evangelists, is that of being thorns 
in the sides of true ministers, whom they never fail 
to represent as deceivers or novices, causing ^he 
truest piety to wear the semblance of enthusiasm 
and folly. " They speak evil of the things they un- 
derstand not :" and by the most malicions discourses, 
which have always an appearance of zeal for reli- 
gion and order, they are gradually rousing anew 
that spirit of persecution, by which the name of 
Christ has been so universally disgraced in the 
world. 

In the earliest age of the christian church, these 
false apostles, swelling with envy at the success of 
more faithful ministers, made use of every eifort to 
render them contemptible, by giving false represen- 
tations of their holy zeal and their exemplary ac- 
tions. Thus they accused St. Paul of walking "ac- 
cording to the flesh ;" and asserted, that though 
" his letters were w r eighty and powerful, yet his 
bodily presence was weak, and his speech contem- 
iible." Nay, so anxious were they m seeking oc- 
casions for offence in the conduct of this Apostle, 
that he believed himself obliged, in the end, pub- 
licly to expose them...." These are false apostles, 
says he, deceitful workers, transforming themselves 
into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel, for Sa- 
tan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 
Therefore it is no great thing, if his ministers also 
be transformed, as the ministers of righteousness ; 
whose end shall be according to their works." As 
our Lord foresaw, that these strenuous opposers of 
real religion, would bring his church to the very 
brink of ruin, he exhorted his disciples continually 
to stand upon thier guard against them. And the 
Apostles, after steadily following their Master's im- 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 149 

portant advice, were diligent in transmitting it to 
the latest of their followers. 

One necessary remark shall conclude this chap- 
ter. In the portrait of St. Paul, we have seen that of 
an evangelical pastor : in the preceding chapter, 
we have marked the character of a careless minister ; 
and in this, we behold the faithful representation of 
a false apostle. Let us remember, that one of these 
three portraits must agree, more or less, with every 
preacher of the Gospel. I say more or less, because 
the various traits here marked out, maybe varied to 
an almost inconceivable degree.* Moreover so in- 
constant is man, that a minister, who to-day is pos- 
sessed of zeal sufficient to rank him with preachers 
of the first class, may to-morrow, by an unhappy re- 
missness, sink into the second, as once did John 
whose surname was Mark ; or even into the third, 
as Hymeneus andPhiletus, Diotrephes and Demas. 
On the contrary, a man, who now discovers many 
of those traits, by which Saul the pharisee was once 
distinguished, may, ere long, become an humble 
imitator of the zeal and charity of Paul the Apostle* 



CHAP. Ill, 

AN ANSWER TO THE FIRST OBJECTION, WHICH MAY 
B£ MADE AGAINST THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

OBJECTIONS are the ordinary weapons r 
with which error makes war upon truth, and these 
are sometimes so powerful, that till they are effectu- 
ally repelled, we see truth deprived of its rights. 
The first that will probably be advanced against the 
portrait of St. Paul, is this a "The model placed be- 
fore us is too exalted for those, who are not endued 
with, the miraculous gifts of St, Paul. 

n % 



150 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 



To this and every other objection, we shall offer 
a variety of replies, in as concise a manner as pos- 
sible- To the present objection, a sufficient answer 
has been already returned by a truly respectable au- 
thor. " This excuse," says Mons. Roques, " might 
* { have some weight, if in proposing the example of 
" Christ to persons, who are honoured with the holy 
" ministry, we insisted upon their keeping pace with 
fi the Saviour of mankind. But this excuse is alto- 
" gether frivolous, when nothing more is required 
" of ministers, than continually to place Christ as a 
" model before their eyes, and to imitate him with 
" all the exactness of which they are capable." 
" This excuse," continues he, u is still more unrea- 
" sonable,when applied to Prophets and Apostles, 
" whojwere men of like passions with ourselves ; and 
" who, of consequence, may be placed before us as 
(i models, whose perfections are attainable by means 
" of the very same succours, which supported 
w them, and which are never refused to those who 
4i have sincere and apostolical intentions. 

To the answer of this pious divine, we shall add 
a few observations. 

1. In the Portrait of St. Paul there is found no 
large description of miraculous gifts, but a faithful 
representation of those christian virtues which are 
found in every believer, according to his vocation, 
and without which, it is impossible for us to fill up 
our several duties.*. .such as humility, faith, charity, 
zeal, and assiduity. 

2. The morality, which was practised by St. 
Paul, was no other than the morality of the Gos- 
pel, which is the same in every age, and for every 
condition : whence it follows, that the moral cha- 
racter of this Apostle, belongs not only to all true 
pastors, but even to every sincere believer. If St., 
Paul w-as truly humble, charitable, and pious, his 
humility, his charity, and his piety, are as essential 
to the religion of every christian, as three angles are. 



THE FORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 15 2 

essential to the nature of every triangle. It isgranted, 
that the piety of this Apostle was greater than that of 
a thousand other ministers, just as the one the magni- 
tude triangle maybe greater than that of_a thousand 
others. But as the angles of the most diminutive 
triangle, are of the same quality with those, which 
compose a triangle of an uncommon magnitude, 
so the moral character of St. Paul is, with regard to 
essentials, the moral character of every true chris- 
tian. 

3. This Apostle informs us, that he was obliged 
to" keep his body in subjection, lest after having 
preached to others, he himself should be a cast- 
away." This single acknowledgement sufficiently 
proves, that he was exposed to all these dangers 
with which christians are generally beset, and that 
he saw no way of escaping them, but by the use of 
those very precautions, which the weakest believer 
is instructed to take. Now, if St. Paul was so fear- 
ful of falling away ; if St. Peter w T as really seen to 
stumble and fall ; and if Judas, an elected Apostle, 
irremediably plunged himself into the depths of 
perdition : it is but reasonable to suppose, that, by 
a faithful improvement of our privileges, we may 
attain to a good degree of that exalted piety, from 
which one Apostle fell for a season, and another 
for ever. 

4. In the whole Portrait of St. Paul, there is 
not a stronger trait than the eighteenth, which de- 
scribes the ardour of his love for the Jews, who pur- 
sued him even to death : a love, that made him wil- 
ling to be accursed in dying for them, as his gra- 
cious Master had been in dying for the world. Nov/ 
this charity is so far from being an attainment too 
exalted for true ministers, that it is indiscriminately 
required of every professing christian. " Hereby," 
saith St. John, u perceive we the love of God, be- 
cause he laid down his life for us : and we ought to 
lay down our lives for the brethren*" And our Lord 



\5% THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

himself hath said, u By this shall all men know, 
that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to an- 
other." It is by a new commandment to this effect, 
that the morality of the Gospel is peculiarly dis- 
tinguished from that of the law. And shall we im- 
piously attempt to enervate evangelical morality? 
Let us rather declare, upon all occasions, that " He 
who loveth not,knoweth not God." Let us cry out 
with the Apostle...." If any man love not the Lord 
Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha :" 
and if a man love not his brethren, he loves not the 
Lord Jesus ; " for he that loveth not his brother, 
whom he hath seen, how can he love God, whom he: 
hath not seen." 

On the other hand, when we love our brethren; 
with a pure heart fervently ; when, disposed to uni- 
versal benevolence, we can look upon our very 
enemies with sentiments of pity and affection ; we 
are then assuredly possessed of that christian cha- 
rity, which forms the most brilliant trait in the mo- 
ral character of St. Paul. 

5. St. Paul was for three years the resident pas- 
tor of a single church. The city of Ephesus was 
his parish : and while he resided there, he gave an 
example, which every minister, by the most solemn 
engagements, is bound to follow ; whether he be 
commissioned to labour in a city or a village. Dur- 
ing two other years of his life, this Apostle was 
confined within a narrower limits than any pastor 
of a parish. Shut up at Rome in a house, that 
served him for a prison, and constantly guarded by 
a soldier, he was unable to extend the sphere of his 
labours. Yet, even in these circumstances, he con- 
tinued in the diligent exercise of the holy ministry, 
" preaching the Kingdom of God, to all them, that 
came in unto him, and teaching those things, which 
concern the Lord Jesus Christ." 

Surely nothing can appear more perfectly rea- 
sonable than that every pastor should discover a& 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 153 

much zeal in his particular parish, as St. Paul was^ 
accustomed to manifest in the Roman Empire 
when he was at liberty, and in his own apartment 
when loaded with chains. 

6. If the ardent charity and the incessant labours 
of St. Paul were happily imitated by Timothy, w r hy 
may they not be copied by every pastor in the pre- 
sent day? That youthful minister was anxious to 
tread in the steps of this Apostle, and they, who 
are otherwise minded, assuredly fall under those 
apostolical censures, which are thus indirectly ex- 
pressed in his epistle to the Philippians : u I trust 
to send Timotheus shortly unto you ; for I have 
no man like minded, who will naturally care for 
your state. For all seek their own, not the 
things which are Jesus Chrises. But ye know ths 
proof of him, that as a son with the father, he hath 
served with me in the Gospel. " 

7. The destruction of the eastern churches com- 
menced in the falling away of their pastors, who 
gradually abated in the fervours of that holy zeal, 
with which they had begun to labour in the vineyard 
of their Lord. Of such unfaithful teachers, Christ 
affectingly complained in the earliest period of his 
church, and accompanied his complaints with the 
most terrible menaces. " Write unto the Angel 
of the church of Ephesus," said he to St. John, "I 
know thy former works, and thy labour, and thy 
patience, and how thou canst not bear them which 
are evil : and thou hast tried them which say they 
are apostles and are not ; and hast found them liars, 
kc. Nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee, 
because thou hast left thy first love. Remember, 
therefore, from w r hence thou art fallen, and repent, 
and do the first works : or else I will come unto 
thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out 
of his place, except thou repent." 

The warning was unattended to, and at length, 
the threatened blow was struck. Thus fell the 



154 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 



church of Ephesus, and thus every church upon 
earth is fallen, making way for that mystery of ini- 
quity, and that general apostacy, which have been 
so long foretold. So true is it, that apostolical 
charity, that charity which was first lighted up on 
the day of pentecost, is still absolutely necessa- 
ry to every pastor, to every church, and, of conse- 
quence to every believer. 

From the combined force of these seven argu- 
mentative observations, we have aright to conclude, 
that the virtues of St. Paul are far from being in- 
imitable, and that the first objection -against hi§ 
portrait is void of solidity. 



CHAP. IV. 



A SECOND OBJECTION ARGUED AGAINST2 

THEY* who follow the example of Diotre- 
phes rather than that of St. Paul, add to the pre- 
ceding another objection, to discredit, if possible, 
the imitators of this great Apostle. " Do you pre- 
tend," say they, " to be the successors of St. Paul 
andthe other Apostles, whom you presumptuously 
cite as your models ?" 

To such objectors the following reflections will 
serve as a sufficient reply* 

1~ We have heard St. Paul, in the character of 
a believer, proposing himself as an example to all 
believers, and, as a minister of the Gospel, exhort- 
ing every pastor to tread in his steps. 

2. John the Baptist preached repentance : The 
Apostles proclaimed remission of sins in the name 
of Jesus Christ, " who was delivered for our of- 
fences, and was raised again for our justification :" 
and every true minister still continues to insist up- 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 155 

on these important doctrines. Now, as he, who 
takes the place of a person deceased, is accounted 
the successor of such person ; so these faithful pas- 
tors should be regarded as teachers appointed to 
succeed both the forerunner, and the Apostles of 
Christ. It must be allowed, that the Apostles, as 
elders in the family of our Lord, were in possession 
of priveleges, which we are not permitted to enjoy. 
But if the Gospel is unchangeable, and if the King- 
dom of God still remains under its ancient form of 
government, the priesthood must, for the moat 
part, of necessity, continue the same. 

3. There was a time, in which the Jewish priests 
had lost the 4 ' 1 Urim and Thummim,,' with which 
Aaron and his sons were at first invested, There 
was a time, in which God no longer manifested 
himself to his own appointed priests, as he had 
been accustomed to do. But as, notwithstanding 
the loss of that glory, which formerly rested upon 
the Jewish church, every pious priest, such as Zach- 
arias, was a true successor of Aaron ; so, during 
the eclipse of that glory, which once illuminated 
the christian church, every pious minister may 
justly be accounted a true successor of St. Paul. 

4. The word Apostle signifies one who is sent, 
and answers to the term Angel or messenger. 
" Our brethren/' says St. Paul, who accompany 
Titus, " are the messengers," or Apostles, " of 
the churches." Every minister, therefore, who 
carries with sincerity the messages of his Lord, may 
with propriety, be ranked among his Angels or 
messengers. Nor do such immediately lose their 
title, when they neglect to perform the duties of 
their office. They may, like Judas, go under the 
name of Apostles even to their death, though utterly 
unworthy of such an honourable appellation. Thus 
after the pastors of Ephesus and Laodicea had out- 
lived the transient fervours of their charity and 



156 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 



zeal, they were still addressed, as the Angels of 
their several churches. And thus St. Paul gave 
the title of Apostles to the worldly ministers of his 
time ; in quality of ministers, they were Apostles ; 
but in quality of worldly ministers, they were false 
Apostles. 

5. As the name of Cesar is ordinarily applied 
to the twelve first Roman Emperors, so the name 
of Apostle is ordinarily applied to the twelve first 
ministers of the Gospel, who had been permitted 
to converse with their Lord, even after his resur- 
rection^ and to St. Paul, who was favoured with 
a glorious manifestion of his exalted Saviour. In 
this confined sense, it is acknowledged, that the 
name of Apostle belongs, in an especial manner, 
to those, who were sent forth by Christ, after hav- 
ing received their consecration and commission 
immediately from himself* But as the name of 
Cesar in a more general sense may be given to all 
the Emperors of Rome, so the name of Apostle 
may be applied to every minister of the everlasting 
Gospel. Thus Barnabas, Andronicus, and Junia, 
who were neither of the number of the twelve, nor 
yet of the seventy deciples, were denominated 
Apostles as well as St. Paul. 

6. It is the invariable opinion of slothful chris- 
tians, that the zeal of ministers and the piety of be- 
lievers in the present day, must necessarily fall far 
below what they were in the Apostles* time : as 
though the promises of Christ were unhappily 
limited to the primitive church. This error has 
been frequently refuted, in vain, by a variety of 
christian writers, since nothing can be more con- 
formable to that spirit of incredulity, which reigns 
among us, than to renounce at once, the most im- 
portant promises of the New Testament. Had the 
same promises been made respecting temporal ho- 
nours and profits, we should see a different mode 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 157 

of conduct adopted ; " forthe children of this world 
are, in their generation, wiser than the children of 
light." 

Mons. Roques bears the following testimony to 
the truth contended for in this place*- " The mi- 
u nisters of the Gospel esteem themselves and with 
" reason, the successors of the Apostles. Their 
4< employment is essentially the same ; though the 
" Apostles were honoured with many glorious pre- 
" rogatives, as being the first to lay the foundation 
" of the church." 

" The minister of Christ," says the same writer, 
K cannot be said vainly to flatter himself, when he 
45 counts upon the gracious assistance of his Mas- 
" ter. He takes the promise of that Master for the 
M solid foundation of his hope. I am with you al- 
H way, said Christ to his Apostles, and, in their per- 
"sons, to all those, who should succeed them in 
c * the ministry, even unto the end of the world," 

" It was this divine promise," continues he ; 
u a promise more stedfast than earth or heaven, 
" that filled the Apostles with such an ardent zeal, 
" as enabled them to rejoice evermore ; placing 
u them above the fury of tyrants, and beyond the 
" reach of fear ; assisting them to endure cexessive 
" fatigue, and toilsome journeys, the inclemency of 
" the seasons, and the resistance of obdurate hearts." 
Impressed with ajust sense of this important promise, 
the venerable writer concludes with this fervent pray- 
er. u Holy Jesus ! who hast promised to continue for 
" ever with thine Apostles, and to give them that 
" wisdom, which no man shall ever be able tp re- 
11 sist, give me to experience a participation of these 
" signal favours, that, animated by the same spirit, 
ft with which thy first disciples were inspired, I 
u may lead some soul a happy captive to the obe- 
" dience of thee." These beautiful quotations 
will make their own apology for appearing in this 
place. 

o 



158 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 



7. If any are diposed to condemn Mons. Roques, 
as an enthusiast in this point, they consider not, 
how many great and honourable names they dis- 
grace by such a precipitate judgment; since all 
those pious fathers, who are looked upon as the 
reformers of corrupted doctrines and degenerate 
manners, were unanimously of the same opinion* 

From the preceding reflections, it seems but 
reasonable to conclude, that all the true ministers 
of Christ among those nations, which were for- 
merly known by the name of Gentiles, are to be 
considered as the true successors of the Apostles, 
and particularly of St. Paul, who by way of emin- 
ence is entitledthe Apostle of the Gentiles, and who, 
on that account, may, with the greater propriety, 
ke proposed to them as a model. 



\ CHAP. V. 

A THIRD OBJECTION REPLIED TO. 

THEY, who will allow neither believers nor 
pastors to become imitators of St. Paul, very rarely 
forget to propose a third objection against such 
imitation. " If you pretend," say they, u to be the 
Apostles' successors, then prove your mission by 
the performance of miracles equal to theirs. 

To this objection we reply........ 

1. That no mention is made of the miracles 
of Andronicus, Junia, and Barnabas, who were real 
Apostles : nor are any miracles attributed to Titus 
or Timothy, though they were the undoubted suc- 
cessors of the Apostles. Further; it is expressly 
said, that John the Baptist, though he was greater 
than the Prophets, did no miracle. On the other 
hand, some miraculous gifts were common in the 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAITL. 159 

church of Corinth, even among those, who were 
neither Apostles nor Evangelists : and these gifts 
were so far from being essential to apostolic zeal 3 
that many unworthy brethren and many ifalse Apos- 
tles, as well as the traitor Judas, were endued with 
them. This we are taught, in the most express 
terms, by our Lord himself. 

2. If any of those pastors, who make a profes- 
sion of following St. Paul, are observed to publish 
another Gospel, or to depart from the order esta- 
blished by the Apostles, the world has then reason 
to require miracles at their hand, as a demonstra- 
tion, that their doctrines are divine, and that their 
recent customs are preferable to those, which were 
formerly adopted in the church of Christ. But, if 
they simply proclaim that glorious Gospel, which 
has been already confirmed by a thousand miracles, 
and are observed to adopt no other method than 
that of the Apostles ; it is absurd, in the highest 
degree, to insist upon miracles as the only sufficient 
evidences of their mission. From worldly pastors, 
•such attestations of their sacred commission might, 
with propriety, be required. These are the persons, 
who turn aside from the beaten track of Christ and 
his disciples, both with respect to doctrine and dis- 
cipline : and these should be required, by the 
church, to give incontestible proofs, that their novel 
customs are better than those of St. Paul and the 
ancient Evangelists. 

3. No sufficient reason can be given, why the 
humble imitators of St. Paul should be required to 
evidence their spiritual mission by extraordinary ac- 
tions. On the one hand, they do but simply declare 
those religious truths, of which they have had the 
most convincing experience ; and, on the other, they 
earnestly solicit the wicked to become partakers of 
the same invaluable blessing. Now the certainty of 
such declaration, and the sincerity of such invitation, 
may be solidly established upon two kinds of proof : 



160 THE F6RT&AIT OF ST. PAUL. 

first upon those proofs which support the Gospel in 
general: and, secondly, upon the holy conduct of 
those, who bear this testimony and repeat these in- 
vitations, by which they demonstrate the efficacy of 
their doctrine, and indisputably prove, that true 
christians are " dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto 
God." That pastor, who is unable to produce the 
former proofs, cannot possibly be regarded as a true 
successor of the great. Apostle : and he, whose uni- 
form conduct is insufficient to supply the latter, is no 
other than a false Apostle. 

4. External miracles, which affect no change in 
the heart, nor rescue the soul from a state of spiri- 
tual blindness and death; miracles, which serve only 
to repair the organs of a body, that must shortly be 
consigned to the grave ; miracles, which tend merely 
to modify matter, such as causing green trees to 
wither, withered trees to spring, and water to gush 
©ut of the flinty rock: miracles of this nature, are 
far less important than those, which cause the thorns 
of vice to wither, the seeds of grace to spring, and 
streams of sacred consolation to ilow through those 
very hearts which were formerly barren as a desert, 
and hard as the rock, that Moses smote. 

5. " If you wish for miracles, " says a christian 
writer ; " if you are anxious to experience them in 
"yourselves; if, in the secret of your heart, you 
<{ would become witnesses of his almighty power, by 
" whom that heart was formed, then ask of him. 
" this sublime virtue [this charity] from which all 
" your inclinations and habits detain you at so vast a 
" distance, that you are in no situation to form any 
" just idea of it, nor even to conceive the possibility 
w of its existence. " 

6. This sublime virtue, this divine charity and 
these sacred consolations, which were as a well of wa- 
ter springing up into everlasting life, in the hearts 
of Christ's first disciples, may still be made to break 
forth hi ours. The source of these inestimable 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAlfL. 16 i 

graces can never be exhausted; and the faithful, who 
experience in themselves this consoling miracle, 
stand in need of no other prodigy to establish them 
in the faith of the Gospel. 

7. The most important miracles were those, 
which were wrought by the Apostles, when- as fel- 
low-workers together with God, they opened the 
eyes of sinners, turning them " from darkness to 
light, and from the power of Satan unto God. 1 ' 
True miracles of mercy these, and memorable con- 
versions which the word of God, in the mouths of 
his ministers, is continually operating in every 
age. 

8. The charity, which is discovered by a faithful 
pastor, who humbly co-operates with God in the con- 
version of his inveterate enemies, should be regarded 
by the world, as the truest test of his " Apostleship. 
Whether there be prophecies, they shall fail ; Whe- 
ther there be tongues, they shall cease ; but charity 
never faileth. And though I have all faith, so that I 
could remove mountains," and perform the most 
unheard-of prodigies, " if I have not charity, 1 am 
nothing." 

The preceding replies are abundantly sufficient 
to demonstrate the weakness of their third objection^ 
who are the professed enemies of apostolic zeal. 



CHAP. VI. 

A FOURTH OBJECTION REFUTED^, 

THE objection here proposed has been abun- 
dantly more prejudicial to the cause of piety, than 
any of the preceding. u You suppose," say formal 
professors," that every pastor is called to labour for 
the salvation of souls, in the present day, with all 

o 2 



162 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL* 



that zeal, which animated St. Paul in primitive 
times. But their circumstances differ in a very ma- 
terial way. The Apostles were commissioned to 
pseach the Gospel, either to obstinate Jews, or ido- 
latrous Heathens : whereas our pastors are called to 
exercise their ministry among* such, as have received 
the truth from their earliest infancy. Is it not then 
contrary to common sense, that the same laborious 
efforts should be thought necessary for the instruction 
of christians which St. Paul was formerly constrained 
to make use of for the conversion of idolaters?'" 

As this specious objection has been more fre- 
quently repeated, than properly refuted, it becomes 
necessary, in this place, to expose all its weakness, 
and to demonstrate, that the difference bet. veen sin- 
ners, who are baptized, and those, with whom St. 
Paul had to do, is by no means in favour of indolent 
pastors. 

i. There are found swarms of infidels and idola- 
ters in every christian country upon earth. We 
need not look beyond protestant churches to disco- 
ver multitudes of impious christians, who not only 
despise the Gospel in secret, but who even dare to 
make it the subject of public ridicule: men, who 
46 have set up their idols in their hearts," and who 
perfectly answer the apostles' description of degene- 
rate professors* 

2. St. Paul himself sufficiently answers this'very 
objection, as follows: "In Christ Jesus, neither cir- 
cumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, 
but a new creature : and as many as walk according 
to this rale, peace be on them." If there are any, 
who make a profession of receiving the christian 
faith, and who follow not this evangelical rule, the 
Apostle thus addresses them, with an holy warmth : 
" Examine yourselves whether you be in the faith'; 
prove your ownselves ; know ye not your ownselves 
how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be repro- 
bates? Be not deceived : neither covetous persons* 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 163 

nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall 
inherit the Kingdom of God." 

3. Observe how the same objection is combated 
again in another of St. Paul's epistles. " Behold, thou 
art called a christian, and makest thy boast of God, 
and knowest his will, being instructed out of the" 
twofold " law" of Moses and of Christ. " Thou, that 
makest thy boast of this law ; if thou through break- 
ing the law, dishonourest God, the name of God is 
then blasphemed among the gentiles through you. 
Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever 
thou art, that judgest" the heathen, as sinners more 
hopeless than thyself: for wherein thou judgest 
another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that 
judgest dost the same things. And thinkest thou, 
O man," that thy privileges unimproved, will assist 
thee to " escape the judgment of God ? Or despisest 
thou the riches of his goodness; not knowing, that 
the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?" 
Beware lest,* 4 after the hardness of thine impenitent 
heart, thou treasurest up unto thyself wrath against 
the day of wrath." 

4. If every scriptural threatening is denounced 
against those, who are without that holiness, which 
the Gospel requires, it would ill become us to flatter 
either ourselves or others with being the true follow- 
ers of Christ, merely on account of that external pro- 
fession of Christianity, which is generally apparent 
among us. Is it not undeniably evident, that such a 
profession, unless it be accompanied with strict ho- 
liness, will subject us to more and heavier stripes, 
than if we had never known the will of our heavenly 
Father, nor ever acknowledged Christ as our rightful 
Lord? Didnot our gracious Masterhimself once openly 
manifest a greater degree of abhorrence toward 
the lukewarm Christian, than toward the notorious 
sinner? And has he not plainly declared, that myri- 
ads of righteous heathens shall be permitted to sit 
down in the Kingdom of God, while multitudes of 



164 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 

his professing people shall be cast into outer dark- 
ness I 

5. After infants have been baptized, and after 
young persons have been admitted to the holy com- 
munion, the true pastor, instead of taking it for 
granted, that they are become unfeigned christians 
by partaking of these ordinances, examines them 
with diligence from time to time, and, from an at- 
tentive observation of their conduct, forms a judg- 
ment of their faith. If, after the strictest scrutiny, 
he discovers some among them, who hold the form, 
without experiencing the power of godliness, he re- 
news his work with encreasing ardour. The most 
painful part of his duty is still before him, when he 
attempts to convert those sinners, who are baptized, 
and those infidels, who are communicants : since 
before he can lead them to that which worketh bjr 
love, as St. Paul was accustomed to lead unprejudi- 
ced heathens, he must first unmask them with a, 
holy severity, as the blessed Jesus was accustomed 
to unmask the pharisees of his day. 

6. If unregenerate christians are heathens by 
their worldly disposition ; if they are pharisees by 
their presumption, and confirmed in their pharisaism 
by the fallacious opinions they indulge of their pre- 
rogatives under the Gospel :.... it follows, that every 
modern pastor is called to a performance of the two- 
fold duty above described. And if this be the 
case, how unreasonable is it to imagine, that the 
ministers of our own time have a much less difficult 
task before them than those, who were formerly 
commissioned to publish the Gospel! 

7. All pastors have an important task assigned 
them, ahd, till this is performed, they are required 
to labour without fainting. Observe in what this task 
consists:.... 44 He that descended from Heaven," 
saith St. Paul, " gave some Apostles ; and some pas- 
tors and teachers ; for the perfecting of the saints, 
for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of ihs 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 165 • 

body of Christ : Till we all come," both pastors and 
flocks, u unto the measure of the stature of the ful- 
ness of Christ/' When every christian has attained 
to this exalted state, the ministers of lhe Gospel 
may then assert their work to be complete, and 
need imitate no longer the diligence of St. Paul. 
But while we are surrounded with baptized swearers, 
sabbath-breakers, slanderers, gamesters* drunkards, 
gluttons, debauchees, blasphemers, and hypocrites, 
who are using every effort to render Christianity- 
despicable before infidels, and execrable in the eyes 
of philosophers : at such a time it cannot be rea- 
sonably imagined that any individual labourer is 
permuted to stand idle in the spiritual vineyard. 
And yet, in this very time of universal degeneracy, 
there are not wanting many among us, who inconsi- 
derately cry out; " St. Paul, without doubt, had 
<; reason to labour with unremitting assiduity for the 
ii conversion of idolatrous heathens ; but we are 
M converted already, and see no necessity for that 
u burning zeal, and those strenuous efforts among 
" our modern teachers, which were formerly com- 
" mendable in that Apostle." 

8. If it be objected, that christians are here re- 
presented in a more deplorable point of view than 
candour or observation can warrant ; we make our 
appeal to those proclamations, which have been made 
with a view to suppress the single sin of profaning 
the name of Gcd^ by impious oaths and horrible im- 
precations. These must undoubtedly be considered 
as public testimonies of public guilt. In such pro- 
clamations every christian government, whether ca- 
tholic or protestant, equally complain, that all the 
civil laws, by which they have endeavoured to enforce 
the Law of God, have proved insufficient to prevent 
the overflowings of a crime, as insipid as it is dis- 
graceful. In vain have new penalties and punish- 
ments been decreed ; in vain are they constantly 
heid forth from the pulpits of preachers and the 



1&6 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 



thrones of Kings : this despicable vice still reigns 
undisturbed among us, insulting over the broken 
laws of earth and Heaven. Now if it has hitherto 
been found impossible to prevent the commission of 
a sin, which has neither pleasure nor profit to plead 
in its favour, what can we expect of all those thou- 
sand vices, which allure with promise sof both ? are 
not dissimulation and perjury, injustice and covet- 
ousness, lasciviousness and luxury, apparent among 
the members of every church ? Do not rapine, re- 
venge and murder, defile every part of Christendom, 
in spite of prisons, banishment and death ? It is a 
truth too notorious to be controverted, that every 
crime, with which human nature has ever been pol- 
luted, is still continually practised in the most en- 
lightened parts of the world. 

We might here mention, if it were necessary, 
the contempt in which marriage is held, the insta- 
bility of that holy estate, and the facility with which 
so sacred a bond is broken. We might go on to be- 
wail the frequent commission of suicide in christian 
communities.... But to speak of these with many 
other sins, which are encreasing around us to an 
alarming degree, would be only to echo back those 
sad complaints, which are every day breathed from 
the lips of the righteous. The above remarks may 
possibly appear uncharitable to some : but, if they 
are without foundation, how many unmeaning ex- 
pressions do we find in our liturgy ! what hypocrisy 
in our public confessions! what false humility in our 
prayers ! 

From all these observations, it is evident, that 
the most heathenish manners are common among 
christians so called, and that the most scandalous 
vices are prevalent, even in those countries, where 
reformed Christianity has erected its standard. Let 
the impartial enquirer then declare, whether it be 
not peculiarly necessary to preach repentance 
among those, whose rebellion against God is accom- 
panied with perfidiousness and hypocrisy i 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 167 

CHAP. VII. 

THE SAME SUBJECT CONTINUED. 

1. WERE it even certain, that professing 
christians in general walk according to their holy 
vocation, would it be commendable in pastors to 
shew less concern for the salvation of Christ's appa- 
rent disciples, than was anciently discovered by St. 
Paul, for the conversion of persecuting heathens ? 
Christians are our brethren. The church, our com- 
mon mother, has nourished us with the same spiri- 
tual milk, and calls us to a participation of the same 
heavenly inheritance. Christians are no more stran- 
gers ; and even those, who are bad citizens and 
unfaithful domestics, are nevertheless in some 
sense citizens of the same ci r y with ourselves, and 
of the household of God. Hence, as we compose 
but one household, so whenever we are disposed to 
neglect any part cf this family, we may apply to 
ourselves the following words of the Apostle : " If 
any provide not for his own, and especially for those 
of his own house, he has denied the faith, and is 
worse than an infidel." Let ministers then, be 
placed in the happiest imaginable circumstances, 
and it will still become them to cry out, with the 
pious benevolence of St. Paul; " As we have oppor- 
tunity, let us do good unto ail men, especially unto 
them, who are of the houshold of faith." 

2. We may here pursue the idea, which Christ 
himself has given us, by comparing his church to a 
vineyard. Jf it be necessary to graft those stocks, 
which are naturally wild ; is it less necessary to 
cultivate those, which have been already grafted ? 
\Ve see the husbandman bestowing most culture 
upon those vines, which produce the most excellent 
fruu. Let ministers attend to this general rule : 
and since they -only can be fruitful in the sacred vine- 



168 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 






yard, who receive the word of God in faith, letthem 
study to train up believers to the highest state of 
maturity. Thus the heavenly husbandman is re- 
presented, as purging every fruitful branch, " that 
it may bring forth more fruit." 

3. The word of God must be offered to sinners 
as a remedy suited to the disease of their souls: but 
to the faithful it must be administered as nourishing 
food. Hence, as the order of grace resembles that 
of nature, it is necessary, in a spiritual sense, to mi- 
nister nutriment to the healthy in much greater 
quantities, than medicine to those, who are dis- 
eased. Thus believers, who constantly hunger and 
thirst after greater degrees of grace, should more 
frequently receive the living word, that they " may 
abound yet more aftd more in knowledge, " till they 
are " filled with the fruits of righteousness." 

4. We find the following expressions in the 
epistle of St. Paul to the Romans; " I am persuaded 
of you, my brethren that ye are full of goodness, 
filled with all knowledge, able to admonish one an- 
other. Nevertheless I have written the more boldly 
unto you, as putting you in mind." And " I long 
to see you, that I may impart unto you some spi- 
ritual gift, to the end ye may be established." Now, 
if St. Paul could express so earnest a desire to in- 
struct those christians, who were pei^fect stranger* 
to him, and who were already so divinely enligh- 
tened ; far from being imitators of this great Apos- 
tle, do we not forfeit all pretensions to charity, while 
we suffer those ignorant christians to perish for lack 
of knowledge, who are not only of our neighbour- 
hbod, but probably of our very parish ? 

5. Though St. Paul was assisted with miracu- 
lous endowments, yet how anxiously did he en- 
deavour to fill up the twofold duties of a believer in 
Christ, and a minister of his Gospel. And shall we 
refuse to labour with equal earnestness, whose gifts 
are so mean, and whose graces are. so inconsider- 



THE FORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 16* 

able ? Appointed, like the primitive preachers of 
Christianity, to-be fishers of men, is it not perfectly- 
reasonable, that we should manifest as great activity 
with our feeble lines, as St. Paul was -accustomed 
to discover in the use of his capacious net I If that 
Apostle, filled with holy zeal, was enabled to convert 
more sinners at a single discourse, than many pas- 
tors are known to convert in a thousand sermons, 
should we not, by our uncommon assiduity, supply, 
as much as possible, the want of that incomprehen- 
sible energy, which accompanied his ministerial la- 
bours ? 

6. Ministers are compared to labourers, who 
go forth to cultivate the lands of their master. 
Now St. Paul, as the foremost of these labourers, 
wrought night and day with an extraordinary in- 
strument, which marked out furrows of an un- 
common depth, and ploughed up entire provinces 
on a sudden. He made the fullest proof of his mU 
nistry, and, by the most astonishing efforts, spread 
the seed of the Gospel, from Jerusalem, round about 
unto Illyricum. How vast a difference between the 
former and latter pastors of the christian church I 
Many of us are content to stand altogether idle, till 
" the night cometh, in v. hich no man can work :" 
while others, who are disposed to some little occu- 
pation, employ themselves as workmen, who have 
need to be utterly asahmed of their insignificant 
labours. At best we hold but a tardy instrument ; 
an instrument, which with immense toil will but 
barely graze the earth, we are called to cultivate. 
And shall we, thus unhappily circumstanced, per- 
mit our plough-shares to gather rust during six suc- 
cessive days, and then leisurely employ them about 
an hour upon the seventh : Surely such a mode of 
conduct is as contrary to common sense, as to the 
example St. Paul has left us. 

7. So astonishing is the inconstancy, the weak- 
ness, and the depravity of the human heart, that in 



no 



THE POHTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 



spite of all the persevering industry of this Apostle 
in the vineyard of his Lord, it still brought forth 
briars and thorns, to the anguish of his soul. " Be- 
hold, " saith he to the Corinthians, " the third time 
I am ready to come unto you, for your edifying. 
For I fear, lest when I come, I shall not find you 
such as I would, and that I shall be found unto you 
such as ye would not : lest there be debates 5 envy- 
ings, wraths, strifes, back-bitings, whisperings, 
swellings, tumults : and lest when Income, my God 
will humble me among you, and that I shall bewail 
many, which have sinned already, and have not re- 
pented/ ' 

We shall close this chapter by proposing the fol- 
lowing queries, which may be reasonably grounded 
upon the preceding passage. If the natural and 
supernatural talents of Si. Paul ; if his zeal, his di- 
ligence, and his apostolic authority were insufficient 
to engage his flock to conduct themselves, as fol- 
lowers of Christ; if their want of piety drew from 
him tears of lamentation* and obliged him to renew 
his painful efforts with redoubled solicitude ; can 
those pastors be said to possess the spirit of the 
Gospel, who behold with indifference the disorders 
of that falling church, which Christ has purchased 
with his own blood ? And if the extraordinary la- 
bours of St. Paul were not sufficient fully to answer 
the design of the sacred ministry, is it not pre- 
sumption indeed to imagine, that our trivial ser- 
vices are sufficiently complete ? 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 171 



CHAP. VIII. 
A FURTHER REPLY TO THE SAME OBJECTIONS 

WHEN we attack a prejudice, that is obsti- 
nately defended^ it is frequently as needful to mul- 
tiply argument^,, as it is necessary in a siege to mul- 
tiply assaults. J|Pursuing this method, we shall en. 
deavour, upo^new grounds, to establish the doc- 
trine contended for in the two last chapters. 

1. After exhorting Timothy to labour without 
ceasing, St. Paul assigns the following reason for 
such injunction, : " Know," saith he, " that in the 
last times" of the christian church, "men," who 
make a profession of faith, " shall be lovers of their 
ownselves, despisers of those, that are good... .lovers 
of pleasure more than lovers of God : having a form 
of godliness, but denying the power thereof." Now, 
if Timothy was exhorted to use all diligence, in op- 
posing those evils, which were then only making 
their approach ; is it reasonable, that we should be 
remiss, who are unhappy enough to see those last 
times, in which the decay of piety, predicted by the 
Apostle, is become universal ? On the contrary, is 
not this the moment, in which we should strenu- 
ously resist the overflowings of ungodliness, and 
fortify those who are not yet swept away by the im- 
petuous torrent ? 

2. When the great Apostle benevolently carried 
the word of God to sinners of every different na- 
tion, he thereby armed against himself the autho- 
rity of magistrates and priests, as well Jewish as pa- 
gan. His universal philanthopy, exposed him to the 
most cruel persecutions. Thousands, and ten thou- 
sands were set in array against him, and the inha- 
bitants of every kingdom seemed determined to re- 
sist or destroy him, in his spiritual progress. He 
saw these surrounding dangers ; but he saw them 



172 



THfi PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 



without discovering any symptom of fear : and ra- 
ther than discontinue his painful labours, he cheer- 
fully proceeded to encounter every theatening evil. 
We, on the contrary, are appointed to build up the 
children of the kingdom in their most holy faith. 
And shall we labour less, because we can labour 
with less danger ? Shall we neglect the duties of 
our sacred function, because our superiors in church 
and state permit us to convert sinners, command 
us to preach the Gospel, erect us temples for the 
public celebration of divine worship, and allow us 
salaries, that our ministry may never be interrupted 
by secular cares ? The ministerial services, which St. 
Paul performed with such unabatingzeal, when his 
reward was imprisonment and stripes, must we be 
engaged to discharge by emoluments and honours ? 
And, after all, shall we limit our constrained obedi- 
ence precisely to that point, which will merely se- 
cure us from public deposition and disgrace ? 

3. What was the error of Demas ; a man, as 
notorious by his fall among the Evangelists, as Judas 
among ths Aposties ? Demas loved this present 
world, and, cea >ing to imitate the diligence of St. 
Paul, ungratefully left him to labour almost without 
a second And will unfaithful Evangelists pre- 
sume, that they may imitate, without fear, theapos* 
tacy of Demas, and renounce, with impunity, the 
example of St. Paul ? If such is their unhappy per- 
suasion, we submit the following queries to their 
serious consideration. Are the souls of men less va- 
luable ; is sin of any kind less detestable, or the law 
of God less severe, in the present day, than in the 
earlier ages of the christian church ? Have pastors a 
right to be remiss, while the night of incredulity 
is blackening around them ? Are the attacks of an- 
tichristian philosophers less frequent and audacious 
at present, than in former times ? Or, finally, is the 
appearance of our omnipotent Judge no longer ex- 
pected in the world ? 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. \7 3 

4. If the Apostles and primitive pastors have 
removed many threatening impediments out of our 
way ; if they have procured for us our present ad- 
vantages by the most amzing exertions, "and at the 
prodigious price of their blood ; surely it can never 
be imagined, that they acted with so much resolu- 
tion, and suffered with so much constancy, that we 
might become the indolent readers of their unpa- 
ralleled history. Was it not rather, that, animated 
with a becoming sense of their great example, we 
might make the highest improvement of our inesti- 
mable privileges ? 

5. The mountains are now laid low, the valleys 
are filled up, the crooked ways are made straight, 
and we have only to carry that salvation to sinners, 
for which such wonderful preparations have been 
made. And are we negligent in running on the er- 
rands of everlasting love ? And are we backward in 
bearing the happiest tidings to the most hapless of 
creatures ? No excuse then can possibly be made 
for the coldness* except that; which the author cF 
Emilius has put into the mouth of a fictitious cha- 
racter : Of what importance is it to me, says the vi- 
car Savoyard, what becomes of the wicked! I am, 
but little concerned in their future destiny. An ex- 
cuse for the want of zeal, which can never be 
pleaded, without reflecting the utmost disgrace upon, 
humanity. 

6. Ye pastors of a flock ever prone to wander ?' 
choose whom you will follow, philosophers or Apos- 
tles ; the indefatigable zeal of St* Paul, or the cruel 
indifference of the sceptical vicar? But, if you take 
the latter for your model, we solemnly entreat you la 
lay aside the profession, white you so shamefully re- 
nounce the duties of the holy ministry ». " As I 
live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the 
death of the wicked ; but that the wicked turn from 
his way and live." With you, however, it is a mat- 
ter of very inconsiderable importance, whether the 

p 2 



174 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 

wicked be finally saved, or destroyed. And yet, 
careless as you are of its weal or woe, you presume 
to appear as ministers of the church, and as pastors 
over that little flock, for which the good shepherd 
was content to lay down his life. To rank with the 
watchful attendants of the fold is an honour, of which 
you are altogether unworthy ; but you may with pro- 
priety be counted in the number of those ungrateful 
hirelings, who care not for the sheep. 

7. It is true, you are not without companions, as 
well ancient as modern. You have Hophni and Phi- 
nehas, Gehazi and Balaam, to keep you in coun- 
tenance ; you have the prophets of Jezebel to plead in 
your favour, and every worldly ecclesiastic of the 
present day to approve your choice : but apostoli- 
cal men will resolutely withstand you, like Elisha 
and his Master, in the cause of deserted truth. 

Ye slothful domestics of the most diligent Mas- 
ter I Ye cruel attendants of the tenderest shepherd ! 
say, have ye never heard that Master crying out, with 
the voice of affection, Feed my sheep? Have ye not 
seen him conducting his flock to an evangelical pas- 
ture, in the temple, in synagogues, in villages, in 
houses, in deserts, on the sea-shore, and on the tops 
of mountains? He anxiously sought out the misera- 
ble. Truth was the guide of his way, charity accom- 
panied his steps, and his path was marked with bless- 
ings. His secret efforts were more painful than his 
public labours : he publicly instructed through the 
clay : but he privately agonized in prayer through the 
night. His first disciples were anxious to tread in the 
steps of their adorable Master. They exercised their 
ministry within sight of torments and death. And 
will you dare to neglect it, now the cry of persecution 
is hushed ? Will you equally despise, both the pro- 
mises and threatenings of the Gospel? Will you has- 
ten the times of antichrist, by an antichristian con- 
duct? And when the Son of man shall come, shall he 
ilnd you trampling under foot the Gospel of his 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 175 

grace ? Or, shall he surprise you distributing cards 
round the tables of your friends, rather than ear- 
nestly inviting those friends to the table of your 
Lord ? 

O that we could prevail upon you stand in your 
proper post, and act in conformity to your pro- 
fessional character ! While you dream of secu- 
rity, you are surrounded with the most alarming 
dangers, " Stand, therefore, having your loins girt 
about with truth ; having on the breast-plate of 
righteousness, and your feet shod with the prepara- 
tion of the Gospel of peace : above all, taking the 
shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench 
all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the hel- 
met of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which 
is the word of God : prayingalways with all prayer, 
and watching thereunto with all perseverance, and 
supplications for ail saints," and for the ministers of 
the Gospel in particular, " that they may open their 
mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the 
Gospel, " and diffuse abroad " the unsearchable 
riches of Christ*" Thus, quitting yourselves like 
men, in this sacred warfare, after steadily resisting, 
you shall finally overcome all the strength of the 
enemy, u by the word of truth, by the power of God, 
by the armour of righteousness on the right hand 
and on the left :" Till having weathered out the evil 
day, continuing faithful unto death, ye shall be re- 
warded with a crown of everlasting life. 



176 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUI~ 



CHAP- IX. 

A FURTHER REFUTATION OF THE SAME OBJECTION. 

1. WHEN we see a number of persons in pe- 
rilous circumstances, charity constrains us to make 
our first efforts in favour of those, who appear to be 
in the most imminent danger. Such are unholy 
christians. Sinful heathens are doubtless in danger ; 
obstinate Jews in still greater peril ; but impenitent 
christians are in a situation abundantly more la- 
mentable than either ; since they offend against 
clearer light and knowledge, equally inattentive 
to the most gracious promises, on one hand, and 
the most terrible menaces, on the other. To sin 
with the new Testament in our hand, and with the 
sound of the Gospel in our ears... .to sin with the 
seal of baptism in our forehead, and the name of 
Christ in our lips....to sin and receive the holy com- 
munion ; to ratify and break the most solemn engage- 
ments ; what is this, but earnestly labouring out our 
own damnation, and plunging ourselves into those 
abysses of wretchedness, which Pagans and Jews 
are unable to fathom ? How'eagerly then should every 
believer attempt to rescue his falling brethren ? and 
especially, how anxious should they be to arrest 
those leaders of the blind, who are drawing their 
followers to the brink of perdition? As this is one 
of those arguments, upon which the truth here 
pleaded for, must principally rest, we shall consider 
it in the several points of view, under which it is 
presented to us in the Gospel. 

2. The commission of St. Paul, was particularly 
directed to the Gentiles : yet, before he visited their 
benighted nations, he judged it his duty to make a 
full and free offer of the everlasting Gospel to the 
people of the Jews. For the conduct of the Apos- 
tle in this respect^ the following reasons are to he 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 177 

assigned. First, " The promises pertained" to the 
Jews in a peculiar manner. Secondly, The chil- 
dren of Abraham, according to the flesh, had a more 
threatening prospect before them, in case of final 
impenitence, than any other people upon earth: 
u Tribulation and anguish shall be upon every soul 
of man, that doth evil, of the Jew first and also of 
the Gentile. 

o. The same reasons, though chiefly the latter, 
are still to be urged, why the ministers of Christ 
should principally labour among christians. For if 
sinners of the circumcision shall be more severely 
punished than the ignorant heathen, so the Apostle 
declares that sinners, who are baptized into the name 
of Christ, shall be treated with still greater rigour 
than impenitent Jews. " He that despised Moses' 
law," saith he, " died without mercy under two or 
three witnesses: of how much sorer punishment," 
then, « suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who 
hath trodden under foot the Son of God ...and hath 
done despite to the spirit of grace ?" If this conside- 
ration was accompanied with its due effect, it would 
fire us with the most unconquerable zeal for the sal- 
vation of negligent christians. 

4. In one of the last discourses our Lord ad- 
dressed to the cities of Galilee, we find him reading 
over them this dreadful sentence of condemnation. 
"Woe unto thee Chorazin, woe unto thee Bethsaida! 
for ifthe mighty works which were done in you, had 
been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have re* 
pented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say 
unto you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Si- 
don at the day of judgment, than for you. And thou 
Capernaum, which" by thy religious privileges, " art 
exalted unto Heaven, shalt," for the non-improve- 
ment of them, " be brought down to Hell. Yea, it 
shall be more tolerable, in the day of judgment for 
the land of Sodom," which has been already con- 
sumed with fire from above, " than for thee." 



178 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 



5. To draw the just consequences from this af- 
fecting menace, we must recollect, that, when it was 
pronounced, the inhabitants, of the abovementioned 
cities had been favoured, but for a very shortinterval, 
with the ministry of Christ and his messengers: And 
if the death and resurrection of Jesus were afterwards 
published among them, it is more than probable, 
that these important facts were published only in a 
desultory and transient way. Nevertheless the sin- 
ners of Capurnaum were thought worthy of greater 
punishment, than the sinners of Sodom. Hence we 
conclude, that, if the sinners of London, Paris, Rome, 
and Geneva, have hardened themselves against the 
truths of the Gospel for a much longer continuance, 
than the citizens of Capernaum were permitted to 
do, there is every reason to apprehend, that their 
sentence will not only be more dreadful than the 
sentence of Sodom, but abundantly less tolerable 
than that, which was pronounced upon the inhabitants 
of Galilee* 

6. While we consider the various proportions in 
which future punishment shall be adminsteredtothe 
wicked of different classes, we may turn to those re- 
markable expressions of St. Peter and St. Paul :.... 
" If, after having escaped the pollutions of the world, 
through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Je- 
sus Christ, they are again entangled therein and 
overcome ; the latter end is worse with them than 
the beginning. For, it had been better for them not 
to have known the way of righteousness, than after 
they have known it, to turn from the holy com- 
mandment delivered unto them.. If we sin wilfully 
after we have received the knowledge of the truth, 
there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a cer- 
tain fearful looking for of judgment, and fiery indig- 
nation, which shall devour the adversaries." These 
declarations assist us to discover the true ground 
of that apostolic exhortation, with which we shall 
close this chapter : " Of some have compassion, 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 179 

making a difference : and others save with fear, 
pulling them out of the fire. 

From this last view of the subject wje may per- 
ceive, into how dangerous an error those persons 
are fallen, who presume to object against imitating 
the zeal of St. Paul. 



CHAP. X. 

A FIFTH OBJECTION ANSWERED. 

THE solidity of the preceding remarks may 
be acknowledged by many pastors, who will still 
excuse themselves from copying the example of 
St. Paul. 

" It is unreasonable, " they will say, " to require 
that we should preach the word of God, in season, 
and out of season, as St. Paul once did, and as Tim- 
othy was afterwards exhorted to do. We find it, 
in this day, a matter cf difficulty to prepare any 
public address, that may be either acceptable to 
the people, or honourable to ourselves." 

To this objection we return the following 
replies. 

1. He, who spake as never man spake, rejected 
the arts of our modern orators, delivering his dis- 
courses in a style of easy simplicity, and unaffected 
zeal. 

2. We do not find, that St. Paul and the other 
Apostles, imposed upon themselves the trouble- 
some servitude of penning down their discourses. 
And we are well assured, that when the seventy, 
and the twelve, were commissioned to publish the 
Gospel, no directions of this nature were given in 
either case. 



ISO THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

3. St* Paul gives the following pastoral instruc- 
tions to Timothy : " Give attendance to reading, to 

exhortation, to doctrine. Neglect not the gift, that 
is in thee. Meditate upon these things, give thy- 
self wholly to them. Take heed unto thyself and 
to thy doctrine ; continue in them : for in doing this 
thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear 
thee. Preach the word ; be instant in season, out 
of season : reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all long- 
suffering and doctrine. " Now, had it ever entered 
into the mind of the Apostle, that it would be proper 
for pastors to compose their sermons in the manner 
of rhetoricians, and to deliver them as public orators, 
he would most probably have given some intimation 
of this to his disciple. In such case, he would have 
held out to his pupil in divinity, some instructions 
of the following nature. " O Timothy, my son! I 
" have frequently commanded thee to labour in the 
" work of the Lord, according to my example. But 
"as thou art not an Apostle, properly so called) 
" and hast not received the gift of languages, I ad- 
" vise thee to write over thy sermons as correctly as 
u possible. And after this, do not fail to rehearse 
" them before a mirror, till thou art able to repeat 
" them with freedom and grace : so that when thou 
" art called upon public duty, thou mayest effectu- 
" ally secure the approbation of thine auditors. 
" Furthermore when thou art about to visit any dis- 
" tant churches, lay up in thy portmanteau the 
" choicest of thy sermons. .And wherever thou art) 
" take care to have, at least one discourse about thee, 
" that thou mayest be prepared against any sudden 
" emergency, and never appear unfurnished in the 
" eyes of the people." The idea of such a passage 
in the epistles of St. Paul, whether public or private, 
is too absurd to be endured. 

4. If advocates, after hastily considering a ques- 
tion of diillculty, are ready to pkad the cause of 



THE PORTRAIT OY ST. PAUL. IS1 

their client before a court of judicature ; can it be 
possible, that after several years of meditation and 
study, a minister should still be unprepared to 
plead the cause of piety, before a plain assembly of 
his unlearned parishioners ? 

5. When we are deeply interested in a subject 
of the last importance, do we think it necessary to 
draw up our arguments in an orderly manner upon 
paper, before we attempt to deliver our sentiments 
upon the matter in hand ? Are not the love and 
penetration of a parent, sufficient to dictate such 
advice as is suited to the different tempers and con- 
ditions of his children I After perceiving the house 
of our neighbour on fire, we do not withdraw to our 
closet to prepare a variety of affecting arguments, 
by way of engaging him to save both himself and 
his family from the flames. In such case, a lively 
conviction of our neighbour's danger, and an 
ardent desire to rescue him from it, afford us great- 
er powers of natural eloquence, than any rules ot art 
can furnish us with. 

6. Horace observes, that neither matter nor 
method will be wanting upon a well-digested subject : 

cui lecta fio tenter erit res, 
JVec fac undia deseret liunc, nee lucidus or do. 
With how much facility then may suitable ex- 
pressions be expected to follow those animating sen- 
timents, which are inspired by an ardent love to 
God and man ; especially when subjects of such 
universal concern are agitated, as death and re- 
demption, judgment and eternity ? Upon such occa- 
sions, out of the abundance of the heart the mouth 
will srj^ak, nor will the preacher be able to repeat 
a tenth part of the truths, which God has communi- 
cated to him while meditating upon his text. If 
malice can furnish those persons with an inexhausti- 
ble fund of conversation, who delight in malice, 
how much more may we suppose the charity of a 



182 THE PROTRAIT OS ST. PAUL. 

pastor to furnish him with an inexhaustible fund of 
exhortation, instruction, and comfort, 

7. It has been a plea with many ministers of the 
Gospel, that they neglect to proclaim that Gospel 
during six days in the week, lest they should be un<- 
prepared to address their parishioners, with pro- 
priety, upon the seventh. With teachers, who are 
thus scrupulously tenacious of their own reputation, 
we may justly be allowed to reason in the following 
manner. To what purpose are all those oratorical 
appendages, with which you are so studious to 
adorn your discourses : and who hath required all 
this useless labour at your hand ? If a servant, after 
being charged by his master with a message of the 
utmost importance, should betake himself to his 
chamber, and defer the execution of it day after 
day ; would not such a delay be esteemed an un- 
pardonable neglect ? Or, if he should attempt to 
apologiselfor the omission, by alledging that he had 
been busily engaged in learning to repeat with pre? 
cision, the message he had received, and to move 
upon his errand with dignity aud grace. ...would not 
such an excuse be regarded, as an instance of the 
highest presumption and folly ? Andean we imagine, 
that our heavenly Master will overlook that neg- 
lect in his public messengers, which would appear, 
in the conduct of a private domestic, so justly con- 
demn able ? 

8. What advantage has accrued to the church, 
by renouncing the apostolic method of publishing 
the Gospel ? We have indolence and artifice, in the 
place of sincerity and vigilance. Those public dis- 
courses which were anciently the effects of convic- 
tion and zeal, are now become the weekly exercises 
of learning and art. " We believe and therefore 
speak," is an expression, that has grown entirely 
obbolete among modern pastors. But nothing is 
more common among us, than to say. ...As we 



THE PORTHAIT'OF ST. PAUL. 183 

have sermons prepared upon a variety of subjects, 
we are ready to deliver them, as opportunity offers, 

9. Many inconveniences arise from that method 
of preaching, which is generally adopted in the 
present day. While the physician of souls is la- 
bouring to compose a learned dissertation upon 
some plain passage of scripture, he has but little 
leisure to visit those languishing patients, who need 
his immediate assistance. He thinks it sufficient to 
attend them upon every sabbath day in the place 
appointed for public duty : but he recollects not, 
that those, to whom his counsel is peculiarly neces- 
sary, are the very persons, who refuse to meet him 
there. His unprofitable employments at home, 
leave him no opportunity to go in pursuit of his 
wandering sheep. He meets them, it is true, at 
stated periods, in the common fold : but it is equally 
true, that during every successive interval, he dis- 
covers the coldest indifference with respect to their 
spiritual welfare. From this unbecoming conduct 
of many a minister, one would naturally imagine, 
that the flock were rather called to seek out their in- 
dolent pastor, than that he was purposely hired to 
pursue every straying sheep. 

10. The most powerful nerve of the sacred mi- 
nistry is ecclesiastical discipline. But this nerve is 
absolutely cut asunder by the method, of which we 
now speak. When a pastor withdraws fatigued 
from his study, imagining that he has honourably ac- 
quitted himself with regard to his people, he is too 
apt to neglect that vigilant inspection into families, 
upon which the discipline of the church depends. 
Such a spiritual instructor may justly be compared 
to a vain-glorious pedagogue, who, after drawing up 
a copy, and adorning it, for several days together, 
with all the embellishments of his art, should yet 
imagine, that he had admirably performed his part, 
in preparing it at length, for his scholars, without 
any visible defects. And what could reasonably be 



184 THE FOUTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

expected From the pupils of such a teacher, but, that, 
fearing neither scholastic discipline, nor particular 
inspection, they should neglect to transcribe what 
their master with so much unprofitable toil had pro- 
duced? 

1 1. Since the orator's art has taken place of the 
energy of faith, what happy effect has it produced 
upon the minds of men ? Have we discovered more 
frequent conversions among us ? Are formal profes- 
sors more generally seized with a religious fear ? Are 
libertines more universally constrained to cry out, 
u Men and brethren, what shall we do f" Do the 
wicked depart from the church, to bewail their 
transgressions in private ; and believers to visit the 
mourners in their affliction ? Is it not rather to be la- 
mented, that we are at this day equally distant from 
christian charity, and primitive simplicity? 

12. Reading over a variety of approved sermons 
is generally supposed to be preaching the Gospel. 
If this were really so, we need but look out some 
school-boy of a tolerable capacity, and after instruct- 
ing him to read over, with proper emphasis and 
gesture, the sermons of Tillotson, Sherlock, or Sau- 
rin, we shall have made him an excellent minister 
of the word of God. But, if preaching the Gospel 
is to publish among sinners that repentance and sal- 
vation, which we have experienced in ourselves ; if 
it is to imitate a penitent slave, who, freed from mi- 
sery and iron, returns to the companions of his for- 
mer slavery, declaring the generosity of their Prince, 
and persuading them to sue for mercy ; if this is to 
publish the Gospel of peace, then it is evident, that 
experience and sympathy are more necessary to the 
due performance of this work, than all the accuracy 
and elocution that can possibly be acquired. 

13. When this sacred experience, and this gene- 
rous sympathy began to lose their prevalence in the 
church, their place was gradually supplied by the 
trifling substitutes of study and affectation. Carna! 



THE FORTHAIT OF ST. PAUL. 135 

prudence has now for many ages, solicitously en- 
deavoured to adapt itself to the taste of the wise and 
learned. But, while the offence *bf the cross is 
avoided, neither the wise, nor the ignorant are effec- 
tually converted. The Gospel is abundantly better 
suited to the poor in spirit, than to those, who value 
themselves as men of sagacity and science. " 1 
thank thee, O Father I" said the lowly Jesus, " that 
thou hast hid these things from the wise and pru- 
dent, and hast revealed them unto babes." These 
babes, however, in the language of Christ, are the 
very persons, who have been usually neglected by 
us, for the mere gratification of reputed sages. 
Alas ! how many thousand proofs do we require to 
convince us, that the wisdom of this world will con- 
tinue to trample under foot the pearl of the Gospel* 
though in order to secure its reception, it should be 
presented among the artificial pearls of avail* philo- 
sophy I 

14. In consequence of the same error, the orna- 
ments of theatrical eloquence have been sought after 
with a shameful solicitude. And what has been the 
fruit of so much useless toil? Preachers, after all, have 
played their part with much less applause than co- 
medians ; and their curious auditors are still run- 
ning from the pulpit to the stage, for the pleasure 
of hearing fables repeated with a degree of sensibi- 
lity, which the messengers of truth can neither feel, 
nor feign. 

Notwithstanding the above remarks have been 
expressed in the most pointed manner, we mean not 
to insinuate, that the errors already exposed are the 
only mistakes to be guarded against. Extremes of 
every kind are to be avoided with equal care. We 
condemn the carnal prudence of christian orators ; 
but we as sincerely reprobate the conduct of those 
enthusiasts, who, under pretence, that Christ has 
promised to continue with his discipiesto the end of 
the world; exhibit the reveries of a heated iroagjna- 



3 86 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 

tion for the truths of the Gospel. Too many of 
these deluded fax atics are found, who, taking their 
slothfulness and presumption, for the effects of a 
lively faith and an apostolic confidence, repeatedly 
affront the Almighty, and justly offend those can- 
did hearers, who are least disposed to take offence. 
Offences wilt undoubtedly come : but it behoves us 
to make a just distinction between the real offence of 
the cross, and that, which is given by an unlicenced 
presumption on our part. 

If we are honoured with the pastoral office, let us 
consider the holy scriptures as an inexhaustible 
mine of sacred treasures. In the law of the Lord 
let us meditate day and night. Before we attempt 
to deliver evangelical truths in public, let it be our 
first care, to penetrate our hearts, in private, with 
an adequate sense of those truths. Let us arrange 
them in the most suitable order : let us adduce and 
compare the several passages of sacred writ, which 
appear to support or explain the particular doctrines 
we mean to insist upon s but, above all, joining faith 
and prayer to calm meditation, after becoming mas- 
ters of our subject, let us humbly ask of God, that 
Parresia* that lively and forcible elocution, which 
flows from the unction of grace. 

And here, instead of resting contented with barely 
requesting, we should labour to acquire what we 
seek, by frequently stirring up the gift, that is in us. 
Let us embrace every opportunity of exhorting both 
believers and catechumens. Let us carry, with un- 
wearied constancy, instruction to the ignorant, and 
consolation to the afflicted. Let us befaithful in re- 
proving sinners of every class, and diligent in train- 
ing up the children of our parish. 

It is necessary indeed to be scrupulously cau- 
tious, lest we abuse the liberty of preaching from 
meditation, by becoming followers of those, who are 
more worthy of censure, than imitation. There are 
pastors of this kind, who, having acquired a good 



THE FORTH AIT OF ST. PAUL. loT 

degree of spiritual knowledge, and a wonderful fa- 
cility of expression, unhappily begin to pique them- 
selves upon appearing before a numerous assembly 
without any previous study. Conscious of their 
own ability, these self-sufficient preachers make lit- 
tle or no preparation for one of the most solemn du- 
ties, that can possibly be discharged. They hasten 
to a crowded auditory without any apparent concern 
and coming down from the pulpit with an air of the 
same easy confidence, with which they ascended it, 
contentedly return to that habitual listlessne^s, which 
had been interrupted by the external performance 
of a necessary work. Alas ! if these presuming 
pastors could be prevailed upon to write over their 
sermons, to how much better purpose might they 
thus employ their hours, then by heedleslv trifling 
them away, in frivolous conversation and shameful 
inactivity i 

It is not to imitate examples of this nature, that 
we solicit the ministers of Christ to recover those 
hours, which are usually employed in composing 
their weekly discourses. How many are the impor- 
tant occupations, of which the faithful pas:or has his 
dail v choice ! The wicked are to be reclaimed, and 
the righteous established, tiope must be administer- 
ed to the fearful, and courage to the tempted. The 
weak are to be strengthened, and the strong to be 
•exercised. The sick must be supported, and the 
dying prepared for dissolution. By frequent pastoral 
visits to hamlets, schools, and private houses, the in- 
defatigable minister should continually be moving 
through the several parts of his parish ; discovering 
the condition of '..hose entrusted to his care, and re- 
gularly supplying the necessities of his flock; diffu- 
sing all around instruction and reproof, exhortation 
^nd comfort. To sum up his duties in a single sen- 
tence, he should cause the light, that is in him, to 
shine out in every possible direction, before the ig- 
liorantand the learned, the rich and the poor; making 



190 TH"£ PO&TRAIT OT STT. PAUL. 

hour, do you really imagine, that less ardour and 
perseverance are necessary to prepare souls for 
Heaven, than to catch trout for your table. 

The huntsman rejoices in expectation of the pro- 
mised chase. He denies himself some hours of 
usual repose, that he may hasten abroad in pursuit 
of his game. He seeks it with unwearied attention, 
and follows it from field to field with encreasing ar- 
dour. He labours up the mountain : he rushes do wit 
the precipice : penetrates the thickest woods, and 
overleaps the most threatening obstacles. He prac- 
tises the wildest gestures, and makes use of the 
most extravagant language : endeavouring by every 
possible means, to animate both dogs and men in 
the furious pursuit. He counts the fatigues of the 
chase among the number of its pleasures : and 
through the whole insignificant business of the day, 
he acts with as much resolution and fervour, as 
though he had undertaken one of the noblest enter- 
prizes in the world. 

The fowler with equal eagerness pursues his dif- 
ferent game. From stubble to stubble, and from 
cover to cover he urges his way. He pushes through 
the stubborn break, and takes his way along the 
pathless dingle : he traverses the gloomy mountain, 
or wanders devious over the barren heath : and, af- 
ter carrying arms all day, if a few trifling birds re- 
ward his toil, he returns rejoicing home. 

Come, ye fishers of men ! who, notwithstanding 
your consecration to God, are frequently seen to par- 
take of these contemptible diversons ; come, and an-* 
swer by your conduct, to the following questions. 
Is the flock committed to your charge, less estima- 
ble than the fowl, which you so laboriously pursue ? 
Or are you less interested in the salvation of your 
people, than in the destruction of those unhappy 
quadrupeds, which give you so much silly fatigue, 
and afford you so much brutal pleasure? 



XHE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL* 191 

Permit me, still further, to carry on my argu- 
ment. Was the panting animal which usually ac- 
companies your steps in the last-mentioned exer- 
cise, incautiously to plunge into a dangerous pit ; 
though faint with the labours of the day, and now on 
your return, would you carelessly leave him to pe- 
rish ? Would you not, rather, use every effort to ex- 
tricate him from apparent death : Could you even 
sleep or eat, till you had afforded him every possi- 
ble assistance ? And yet, you eat, you sleep, you 
visit ; nay, it may be, you dance, you hunt, you 
shoot ; and that without the least inquietude, while 
your flocks are rushing on from sin to sin> and fall- 
ing from precipice to precipice. Ah l if a thousand 
souls are but comparable to the vilest animal, and 
if these are heedlessly straying through the ways of 
perdition, may we not reasonably exhort you to use 
every effort in preserving them from the most 
alarming danger, and in securing them from the hor- 
rors of everlasting death ? 

But, passing by those amusements, which so 
generally engage your attention, let me reason with 
you from one of the most laborious occupations of 
life- You are called to be " good soldiers of Jesus 
Christ. " And can you possibly imagine, that less 
resolution and patience are required in a spiritual 
warrior, than in an earthly soldier ? Behold the mer- 
cenary, who, for little more than food and clothing, 
is preparing to go on his twentieth campaign! 
Whether he is called to freeze beneath toe pole, or 
to melt under the line., he undertakes the appointed 
expedition with an air of intrepidity and zeal. Loaded 
with the weapons of his warfare, he is harrassedout 
with painful marches : and after enduring the ex- 
cessive fatigues of the day, he makes his bed upon 
the rugged earth, or perhaps, passes the comfort- 
less, night under arms. In the day of battle, he 
advances against the enemy amid a shower of bullets, 
and is anxious, in the most tremendous scenes to 



THE 



PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, SCc. 



PART II. 



The Doctrines of an evangelical Pa&tar. 

THE minister of the present age, being des- 
titute of christian piety, is neither able to preach, 
nor clearly to comprehend, the truths of the Gos- 
pel. In general, he contents himself with super- 
ficially declaring certain attributes of the Supreme 
Being ; while he is fearful of speaking too largely 
of grace or its operations, lest he should be sus- 
pected of enthusiasm. He declaims against some 
enormous vice, or displays the beauty of some so- 
cial virtue. He affects to establish the doctrines 
of heathen philosophers : and it were to be wished 
that he always carried his morality to as high a 
pitch, as some of the most celebrated of those sages* 
If he ever proclaims the Lord Jesus Christ, it rs 
but in a cursory way, and chiefly when he is obliged 
to it, by the return of particular days. He him- 
self continues the same through all seasons ; and 
the cross of Christ would be entirely laid aside, un- 
less the temporal prince, more orthodox lhan the 
minister, had appointed the passion of our Lord to 
be the preacher's theme> during certain feolemnities 
of the church. 



691 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 



With the evangelical pastor it is wholly other- 
vise : " Jesus Christ," he is able to say with St. 
Paul, " sent me to preach the Gospel, not with wis- 
dom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be 
made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross 
is, to them that perish, foolishness ; but unto us, 
which are saved, it is the power of God. For it is 
written, I will destroy the" vain " wisdom of the 
wise, and will bring to nothing the" false " under- 
standing of the prudent. Hath not God made fool- 
ish the wisdom of this world ? For after that the 
world by" this " wisdom," this boasted philosophy, 
* ( knew not God," but rested in materialism and 
idolatry, " it pleased God by the foolishness of 
preaching, to save them that believe." The preach- 
ing of the true minister, which commonly passes 
for folly in a degenerate world, is that through which 
God employs his power, for the conversion of sin- 
ners and the edification of believers* It compre- 
hends all that is revealed in the old and new Testa- 
ment : but the subjects on which it is chiefly em- 
ployed, are the precepts of the decalogue, and the 
truths of the Apostles' creed. They may be reduc- 
ed to four points : 1. True repentance toward God. 
$* A lively faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. 3. The 
sweet hope, which the Holy Spirit sheds abroad in 
the hearts of believers, 4. That christian charity, 
which is the abundant source of all good works. 
In a word, the good pastor preaches, " repentance* 
faith, hope, and charity." These four virtues in- 
clude all others. These are the four pillars which 
support the glorious temple, of which St. Paul and 
St. Peter make the following mention : " Ye are 
God's building. Ye also, as lively stones, are built 
up a spiritual house. 

By searching into the solidity of these four sup- 
ports, we may observe how vast a difference there 
Is between the materials of which they are com* 
posed, and that untempered mortar with which 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL* 19T 

the ministers of the present day are striving to erect 
a showy building upon a sandy foundation. 

The evangelical pastor preaches true repentance 
toward God* 

THE true minister, convinced, both by revela- 
tion and experience, that Jesus Christ alone is able 
fo recover diseased souls, employs every effort to 
bring sinners into the presence of this heavenly 
physician, that they may obtain, of him spiritual 
hea! id salvation. He is fully convinced, that 

he, who is not weary and heavy laden, will never 
apply for relief ; that he, who is not poor in spirit, 
will constantly despise the riches of the Gospel ; and 
that they, who are unacquainted with their danger, 
will turn a deaf ear to the loudest warnings of a com- 
passionate Saviour. His first care, then, is to press 
upon his hearers the necessity of an unfeigned re- 
pentance ; that, by breaking the reed of their vain 
confidence, he may constrain them, with the poor, 
the miserable, the blind, and the naked, to fall be- 
fore the throne of divine justice : whence, after see- 
ing themselves condemned by the law of God, with- 
out any ability to deliver their own souls, he is con- 
scious they will have recourse to the throne of 
grace, entreating, like the penitent publican, to be 
" justified freely by the grace God, through tae re- 
demption that is in Christ Jesus. " It is in this state 
of humiliation and compunction of heart, that sin- 
ners are enabled to experience the happy effects of 
that evangelical repentance, which is well defined 
in the xivth chap, of the Helvetic Confession : " By 
" repentance," say our pious reformers, " we mean 
" that sorrow, or that displeasure of soul, which is 
M excited in a sinner, by the word and spirit of God,. 
" Sec. By this new sensibility, he is first made to» 
" discover his natural corruption, and his actual 
u transgressions. His heart is pierced with sincere 

r 2 



198 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAXIL. 

" distress ; he deplores them before God ; he coit- 
" fesses them with confusion, but without reserve y 
" he abhors them with an holy indignation ; he se- 
" riously resolves, from the present moment, to re- 
" form his conduct, and religiously apply himself to 
" the practice of every virtue, during the remainder 
li of his life. Such is true repentance : it consists, 
il at onee, in resolutely renouncing the devil, with 
" every thing that is sinful ; and in sincerely cleaving 
" to God, with every thing that is truly good. But 
"we expressly say, this repentance is the mere gift 
11 of God, and can never be effected by our own 
" power. " 

It appears, by this definition, that our reformers 
distinguished that by the name of repentance, which 
many theologists have called the awaking of a soul 
from the sleep of carnal security ; and which others 
have frequently termed conversion. But, if sinners 
understand and obtain the disposition here described, 
no true minister will be over-anxious, that they 
should express it in any particular form of words. 

How sin and the necessity of 'refientGnee entered into 

the world* 

OBSERVE the account, which the evangelical 
minister gives, after Moses and St. Paul of the 
manner in which that dreadful infection made its 
way into the world, that corrupt nature, that old 
man, that body of death, which Christ the seed of 
the woman came to destroy. When the tempted 
woman saw, that the fruit of the tree, which God 
had foi bidden her to touch, " was pleasant to the 
eyes, good for food, and to be desired to make one 
wise, she took thereof and did eat, and gave also 
unto her husband with her, and he did eat." Thus 
entered into the very fountain-head of our nature 
that moral evil, that complicated malady, " that 
Just of the flesh, that lust of the eyes, and that pride 



?KS PORTRAIT OF ST. PAtJL. 199 

of life," which the second Adam came to crucify ia 
the flesh, and which is still daily crucified in the 
members of his mystical body. 

If Jesus Christ never publicly discoursed con- 
cerning the entry of sin into the world, it was be- 
cause his sermons were addressed to a people, who 
had been long before instructed in a matter of so 
great importance. On this account, he simply pro- 
posed himself to Israel, as that promised Messiah, 
that Son of God and Son of man, who was about to 
repair the error of the first Adam, by becoming the 
resurrection and the life of all those, who should be- 
lieve in his name. 

St. Paul- was very differently circumstanced, when 
labouring among those nations which were unac- 
quainted with the fall, except by uncertain and corrupt 
tradition. Behold the wisdom, with which he unfolds 
to the Heathen, that fundamental doctrine, which 
was not contested among the Jews : " The first man 
Adam," the head of the human species, " was made 
a living soul f but Jesus Christ, " the last Adam, 
was made a quickening spirit ; M and he also is the 
head of the human species, for " the head of every 
man is Christ. The first man is of the earth, earthy: 
the second man is the Lord from Heaven. As is 
the earthy, such are they also that are earthy 
[worldly :] and as is the heavenly, such are they also 
that are heavenly, [regenerate.] And as we have 
borne the image of the earthy, we," whose souis are 
already regenerate, " shall also bear the complete 
image of the heavenly ; when this mortal shall have 
put on immortality :" For the flesh and blood," which 
#e have from the first Adam, 4i cannot inherit the 
kingdom of God." 

As human pride is continually exalting itself 
against this humiliating doctrine, so the true minis- 
ter as constantly repeats it, crying out in the lan- 
guage of this great Apostle^ u All unregenerate 
men are under sin: there is none that undersiandeth ? 



200 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

there is none that seeketh after God : they are all 
gone out of the way, they are together become un- 
profitable : the way of peace have they not known ; 
there is no fear of God before their eyes : we know 
that whatsoever things the law saith," the natural or 
the mosaic law, " it saith to them that are under the 
law ; that every mouth may be stopped and ail the 
world may become guilty before God. There is no 
difference ; for as all have sinned and come short of 
the glory of God," so ail equally need the merits 
and assistance of " Jesus Christ, whom God hath 
set forth to be a propitiation, through fakh in his 
blood. " All those, therefore, who, neglecting Christ, 
rely upon " the works of the law, are under the 
curse ;" and all their endeavours to deliver them- 
selves, by their imperfect obedience, are totally vain; 
" For it is written, cursed is every one, that continueth 
not in all things which are written in the book of the 
law, to do them." Thus, by denouncing maledic- 
tions, as dreadful as the thunders from mount Sinia, 
against every act of disobedience, " the law be- 
comes our school-master to bring us unto Christ, 
that we might be justified by faith." 

This doctrine is maintained by all the Christian 
Churches* 

WHEN an evangelical minister insists upon 
the fall, the corruption, and the danger of unregene- 
rate man, he acts in conformity to the acknowledged 
opinions of the purest Churches.. As I chiefly write 
for the French protestants, I shall here eke the con- 
fession of faith now in use among the French 
Churches. " We believe," say they in the ix, x 
and xi articles of their creed, " that man, having 
" been created after the image of God, fell, by his 
H own fault, from the grace he had received ; and 
" thus became alienated from God, who is the foun?. 
'- tain of holiness and felicity j so that having his 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 20 1 

11 mind blinded, his heart depraved, and his whole 
<; nature corrupted, he lost all his innocence.,. e We 
'• believe that the whole race of Adam is infected 
" with this contagion, that in his person he for- 
" feited every blessing, and sunk into a state of 
" universal want and malediction.... We believe also 
" that sin, Sec. is a perverseness producing the fruits 
" of malice and rebellion. " 

The reformed Churches of Switzerland make 
as humiliating a confession. " Man," say they, "by 
" an abuse of his liberty, suffering himself to be se- 
11 duced by the serpent, forsook his primitive integ- 
" rity. Thus he rendered himself subject to sin, 
" death, and every kind of misery : and such as the 
" first man became by the fall, such are all his de- 
M scendants." When we say, man is subject to sin, 
11 we mean by sin, that corruption of nature, which 
44 from the fall of the first man, has been transmitted 
44 from father to son: vicious passions, an aversion 
H to that which is good, an inclination to that which 
44 is evil, a disposition to malice, a bold defiance and 
44 contempt of God. Behold the unhappy effects 
11 of that corruption, by which we are so wholly de- 
U bilitated, that of ourselves we are not able to do, 
" nor even to choose, that which is good." Hel- 
vetic Confession. Chap* viii. 

Every man may find in himself sufficient proofs 
of these painful truths. " God is the Creator of 
44 man," say the Fathers who composed the synod 
of Berne, u and he intended that man should be en- 
44 tirely devoted to his God. But this is no longer his 
14 nature ; since he looks to creatures, to his own plea- 
• 4 sure, and makes an idol of himself." Acts of Sy- 
nod. Chap. viii. 

This doctrine is also set forth in the Ausbourg 
confession ; as well as in the ix and x articles of the 
Church of England, where it is expressed in the fol- 
lowing terms: " Original sin standeth not in the 
" following of Adam, but it is the fault and corrup- 



202 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

" tion of the nature of every man, whereby he is 
" very far gone from original righteousness, and is 
" of his own nature inclined to evil, so that the flesh 
" lusteth alway contrary to the spirit ; and therefore, 
" in every person born into this world, it deserveth 
M God's wrath and damnation."... ." The condition 
" of man, after the fall of Adam, is such, that he 
" cannot turn and prepare himself, by his own na- 
" tural strength and good works, to faith and calling 
" upon God : wherefore we have no power to do 
" good works, pleasant and acceptable to God, with- 
c< out the grace of God by Christ preventing us, that 
" we may have a good will, and working with us 
" when we have that good wilL" 

Nothing less than a lively conviction, of the cor- 
ruption, weakness, and misery, described in these 
confessions of faith, can properly dispose a man for 
evangelical repentance. 

Without evangelical repentance ', a lively faith in Christy 
or regeneration by the' Holy Spirit , will appear not 
only unnecessary, but absurd* 

AS the knowledge of our depravity, is the 
source from whence evangelical repentance and 
christian humility flow, so it is the only necessary 
preparation for that living faith, by which we are both 
justified and sanctified. He who obstinately closes 
his eyes upon his own wretchedness, shuts himself 
i>p in circumstances which will not suffer him to re- 
ceive any advantage from that glorious Redeemer, 
Whom " God hath anointed to preach the Gospel 
to the poor; to heal the broken-hearted; to preach 
deliverance to the captives ; and recovering of 
sight to the blind ; to set at liberty, them that 
are bruised ; to preach the acceptable year of the 
Lord." Reason itself declares, that if sinful man is 
possessed oCsufficient ability to secure his own sal- 
vation, he needs no other Saviour, and " Christ is 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST.PAUL. 203 

dead in vain." In short, so far as we are unac- 
quainted with our degenerate estate, so far the im- 
portant doctrine of regeneration must necessarily 
appear superfluous and absurd. 

Here we may perceive one grand reason, why 
the ministers of the present day, who are but su- 
perficially acquainted with the depravity of the hu- 
man heart, discourse upon this mysterious subject 
in a slight and unsatisfactory manner. 

The true minister, on the contrary, following the 
example of his great Master, speaks upon this mo- 
mentous change with affection and power. Observe 
the terms, in which our Lord himself declares this 
neglected doctrine : " Verily, verily, I say unto 
you, except a man be born of water and of the spi- 
rit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God." As 
though he should say ; the natural man, how beau- 
tiful an appearance soever he may make, is possessed 
of an heart so desperately wicked, that unless it be 
broken by the repentance which John the Baptist 
preached, and regenerated by the faith which I -de- 
clare, he can never become a citizen of Heaven : for 
the doors of my Kingdom must remain everlastingly 
barred against those ravening wolves, who disguise 
themselves as sheep, and those painted hypocrites, 
who salute me as their lord, without embracing my 
doctrines and observing my commands. " Verily/' 
therefore, I u say unto you," my first disciples and 
friends, ■" except ye be converted and become as 
little children," who-are strangers to ambitious, en- 
vious, and impure thoughts, " Ye shall not enter 
into the Kingdom of Heaven." 

Such is the doctrine that is still able to convert 
every inquiring Nicodemus. At first it may perplex 
and confound them ; but, at length, submitting to 
the wisdom of their heavenly teacher, they will cry, 
Impart to us, Lord, this regenerating faith : and 
when once they have obtained their request, they 
will adopt the prayer of the disciples, and proceed 



204 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 



like them, from faith to faith, till all things in their 
regenerate hearts are become new. 

But, if this doctrine is a savour of life unto some, 
it is also a savour of death unto others. It gives of- 
fence to blinded bigots, while modern infidels 
strengthen themselves against it, asPharoah once 
strengthened himself against the authority of Je- 
hovah. " Thus saith the Lord," said Moses to that 
obstinate Monarch, " Let my people go, that they 
may serve me ;" and the haughty infidel replied, 
" who is the Lord that I should obey his voice ? 
" I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go." 
Come up out of mystic Egypt, saith the Son of God 
to every sinful soul : Follow me in the regeneration, 
and I will teach you to worship God in spirit and in 
truth. And who is the Son of God? replies some 
petty Pharoah : I know neither him, nor his father, 
nor conceive myself in any wise obliged to obey his 
commands. 

Impious as this language may appear, the con- 
duct of every irreligious christian must be consi- 
dered as equivalent to it, according to those words of 
our Lord : " He that despiseth my servants, and my 
doctrines, despiseth me ; and he that despiseth me, 
despiseth him that sent me," Whatever mask such 
a Pharisaical professor may wear, he loves the world; 
therefore the love of the Father is not in him ; he 
hates both Christ and his Father, his repentance is 
superficial, his faith is vain, and sooner or later, his 
actions or his words will testify, that he is an utter 
enemy to Christ and his members. 



. 



THS PORTRAIT OP ST. PAUL. 235 



JjlOW THE FAITHFUL PASTOR LEADS SINNERS r& 
REPENTANCE, 

WHAT was spoken by God to Jeremiah, 
may in some sort be applied to the true minister : 
" I have set thee to root out and to plant, to pull 
down and to build." For before the sacred vine can 
be planted, the thorns of sin must be rooted up, 
together with the thistles of counterfeit righteous- 
ness : and before the strong tower of salvation 
can be erected, that spiritual Babal must be over- 
thrown, by which presumptuous men are still exalt- 
ing themselves against Heaven. 

To lead sinners into a state of evangelical repen- 
tance, the true minister discovers to their view the 
corruption of the heart, with all the melancholy ef- 
fects it produces in the character and conversation of 
unregcnerate men. After he has denounced the ana- 
themas of the law against particular vices, such as 
swearing, lying, evil-speaking, extortion, drunken- 
ness, &c. he points out the magnitude of two general 
or primitive sins. The greatest offence according to 
the law, he declares to be that, by which its first and 
great command is violated : consequently, those, 
who love not God beyond all created beings, he 
charges with living in the habit of damnable sin ; 
since they transgress that most sacred of all laws, 
which binds us to love the Deity with all our heart. 
Hence, he goes on to convict those of violating a 
command like unto the first, who love not their 
neighbour as themselves: and to these two sins, as 
to their deadly sources, he traces all the crimes, 
which are forbidden in the Law and in the Prophets. 

And now he proceeds to lay open, before the eyes 
of professing christians, the two greatest sins which 
are committed under the Gospel dispensation. If 
the two great commands of God, under the new cove- 
nant, are to this effect ; that we believe on his Soa 



206 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

Jesus Christ, and love one another ; it is evident, 
that the two greatest sifts tinder the Gospel, are, the 
want of that living- faith, which unites us to Christ, 
and that ardent charity, which binds us to mankind 
in general, as well as to believers in particular, with 
the bands of cordial affection. As daikness proceeds 
fiom the absence of the sun and moon; so from 
these tvo sins of omission, flow all the various of- 
fences, which are prohibited by the evangelical law. 
And if those who are immersed in these primitive 
sins, are withheld from the actual commission of en- 
ormous offences, they are not on this account to be 
esteemed radically holy ; since they are possessed of 
that very nature from which every crime is produced. 
Sooner or later, temptation and opportunity may 
cause some baneful shoots to spring forth in their 
outward conduct, in testimony that a root of bitter- 
ness lies deep within, and that the least impious of 
men carry about them a degenerate nature, a body 
of sin and death. 

T-o give more weight to these obsertations, he 
sets forth the greatness of the supreme Being, en- 
larges on his justice, and displays the severity of his 
laws. He tramples under foot the pharisaical holi- 
ness of sinners, that he may bring into estimation 
the real virtues of the " new man, which after God 
is created in righteousness and true holiness." To 
awaken those who are bleeping in a state of carnal 
security, he denounces the most alarming maledic- 
tions, calling forth against them the thunders of 
mount Sinai, till they are constrained to turn their 
fece.i Zicn-ward ; till they seek for safety in the Me- 
diator of the new covenant, and hasten to u the 
sprinkling of ih&t blood, which speaketh better 
Uiings than the blood of Abel." 

Hy ilii3 method, he conducts his wandering fiock 
to the very point where ancient Israel stood, when 
Gut! had prepared them to receive the law by his 
be: vane Motels* Now after Lhe people had be^rd th# 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAIHL. 207 

"thunderings, and the noise of the trumpet;" after 
they had seen " the lightnings, a^d the mountain 
smoaking :" when, unable any longer to gaie on 
the dreadful scene, " they said unio Moses, speak 
thou with us and we will hear ; but let not God speak 
unto us," without a Mediator, "lest we die".... Then 
it was that Moses began to console them in the fol- 
lowing words : " Fear not : for God is come to prove 
you, and that his fear may be befoi I your faces, that 
you sin not." So in the present day, they only, who 
are brought to this poverty of spirit, are properly 
disposed to receive the riches of divine mercy. As 
soon, therefore as the evangelical minister has suf- 
ficiently alarmed a sinner, with the terrors discovered 
upon mount Sinai, he anxiously prepares him for the 
consolations of the Gospel, by a sight of the suffer- 
ing scene upon Calvary. 

Many pious divines have supposed, that, by 
preaching the cross of Christ alone, mankind might 
be brought to true repentance. Wnat the fathers 
of the Synod of Berne have said upon this point, de- 
serves the attention oftho-.e, who desire successfully 
to use that spiritual weapon, which is " sharper than 
any two-edged sword." 

" The knowledge of sin," say they, " must of 
44 necessity be drawn from Jesus C...ist. The Vpos- 
44 tie writes thus, 4 God comm^ndeth his love toward 
4 us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died f >r 
4 us.' It follows, that sin must have made us aborni- 
44 nable and extremely hateful, since the Son of God 
44 could no other way deliver us from the burden of 
44 it, than by dying in our stead. Hence, we may 
44 conceive, what a depth of misery and corruption 
44 there is in the heart, bince it was not able to be 
44 purified, bu'. by the sacrifice of so precious a vie* 
" lim, and by the sprinkling of the blood of God." 
i. e. of a man miraculously formed, in whom dwelt 
44 all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." "The 
u Apostles have clearly manifested the sinfulness of 



205 THE PORTRAIT OF ST* PAUL. 

" our nature by the death of Christ ; whereas the 
w Jews, after all their painful researches, were not 

* convinced of sin by the law of Moses. After a so- 
11 lid knowledge of sin has been drawn from the pas- 
sion of our Lord, there will naturally flow from 

* this knowledge a true repentance ; that is, a lively 
" sorrow for sin, mingled with the hope of future par- 
6 don. To this necessary work, the Holy Spirit also 
" powerfully contributes, bringing more and more to 

* the light, by its mysterious operations, the hidden 
♦ l evils and unsuspected corruptions of the heart; 
" daily purifying it from the filthiness of sin, as sif* 
«< ver is purified by the fire." Jets qf SynodyChafa 
yiii, ix,xiv. 



SOW THE PROPHETS, JESUS CHRIST, HIS PORE* 
RUNNER, AND HIS APOSTLES, PREPARED SIN- 
GER* FOR REPENTANCE. 

EVER faithful to the word of God, the minis* 
ter of the Gospel endeavours to humble the impeni- 
tent, by appealing to the sacred writers, and parti- 
cularly to the declarations of Jesus Christ. 

The corruption of the heart is the most ancient 
and dreadful malady of the human race. Man had 
no sooner made trial of sin, but he was driven by it 
from an earthly paradise : and so terrible were its 
first effects, that the second man was seen to- assas- 
sinate the third. This moral contagion enereased 
through every age to so astonishing a degree, that, 
before the deluge, " God saw that the wickedness of 
man was great in the earth, and that every imagina- 
tion of the thoughts of his heart was only evil con- 
tinually. After the flood, God still declared the 
imagination of man's heart to be evil from his youth. 
The heart of man," saith he again long after that 



THE FOKTRAIT OF ST. PAIL. 2^9 

time, "is deceitful above all things and desperately 
wicked ; who can know it ? I the Lord search the 
heart, I try the reins. " 

Our Lord himself, who perfectly "knew what was 
in man," being the physician who alone is able to heal 
us, and the Judge who will render to every one ac- 
cording to his works ; our Lord has described man- 
kind alienated from the chief good, filled with aver- 
sion to his people, and enemies to God himself. 
" I send you forth," saith he to his disciples, M as 
lambs among wolves. If the world hate you, ye 
know that it hated me, before it hated you. If you 
were of the world, the world would love his own ; 
but because I have chosen you out of the world," 
that ye should walk in my steps, "therefore the 
world hateth you. If they have persecuted me, they 
will also persecute you. All these things will they 
do unto you for my name's sake, because," not- 
withstanding their deism and polytheism, " They 
know not him that sent me :'' For " he that hateth 
me, hateth my Father also. These things have I told 
you, that when" they shall chase you from their 
churches, as demons would chase an angel of light, 
" ye may remember that I told you of them." 

The Jews Were doubtless, in one sense, the most 
enlightened of all people ; seeing they offered to the 
true God, a public worship unmixed with idolatry, 
were in possession of the Law of Moses, the Psalms 
of David together with the writings of the other pro- 
phets, in which the duties required of man, both 
with respect to God and his neighbour, are traced out 
in the most accurate manner. Nevertheless, Jesus 
Christ represents this enlightened people as univer- 
sally corrupted in spite of these advantages : " Did 
not Moses," saith he to them, " give you the Law ? 
and yet none of you keepeth the Law." 

Wiiat appears most extraordinary in the ser- 
mons of our Lord, is the zeal with which tie bore 
his testimony against the virtues of those Jews, 

s 2 



210 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. TAVLm 

who were reputed men of uncommon devotion. 
Although they piqued themselves upon being emi- 
nently righteous, he declared to his disciples, that, 
unless their " righteousness," should " exceed the 
righteousness of the scribes and pharisees," they 
should " in no wise enter into the Kingdom of Hea- 
ven." And observe ihe manner, in which he gene- 
rally addressed those religious impostors : " Woe 
unto you scribes and pharisees, hypocrites 1 for ye 
make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, 
but within they are full of extortion and excess [full 
of covetous desires and disorderly passions ;] Thou 
blind pharisees, cleanse first that which is within.... 
that the outside may be clean also." 

Nothing is more common than that blindness, 
which suffers a man to esteem himself better than 
he really is, and this blindness is, in every period 
and in every place, the distinguishing characteristic 
of a pharisee. This species of hypocrisy, with 
which St. Paul was once elated, agrees perfectly 
well with the ordinary sincerity of sinners, who 
blindly regard amusements the most trifling and ex- 
pensive, as allowable and innocent pleasures ; who 
look upon theatres, as schools of virtue ; intrigue and 
deceit, as orudence and fashion ; pomp and profu- 
sion, as generosity and decorum ; avarice, as frugal- 
ity ; pride, as delicacy of sentiment ; adultery, as 
gallantry, and murder as an affair of honour. 

To all such modern christians, may we not, with 
propriety, repeat, what our Lord once openly ad- 
dressed to their predecessors ? Without doubt, we 
are authorized, to cry out against them, with an holy 
zeal, u Woe unto you hypocrites ! for ye are like 
unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beau- 
tiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones 
and of all uncleanness. Ye outwardly appear righ- 
teous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy 
arid iniquity :" of hypocrisy, because, your virtues 
Hurt more appearance than solidity \ and of injus- 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 211 

tice, because you render not that which is due to 
God, to Cesar, or to your fellow creatures, whether 
it be adoration, fear, honour, support, or good-will. 

But, if the depravity of the Jews in general, 
and of the pharisces in particular, appear abun- 
dantly evident ; must we suppose theie were no 
happy exceptions among them : It is true, the roy- 
al Prophet declares...." The Lord looked down 
from heaven upon the children of men, to see if 
there were any, that did understand and seek God. 
They are all gone aside, they are altogether be* 
come filthy : there is none that doeth good, no not 
one. ,, But were not the disciples of our Lord to be 
considered in a different point of view ? No : even 
after the extraordinary assistance afforded them by 
the Son of God, the Apostles themselves did but 
confirm the sad assertion of the psalmist. Our 
Lord, upon whom no appearances could impose, 
once testified to James and John, that, notwithstand- 
ing their zeal for his person, they were unacquaint- 
ed with his real character ; and that, instead of be- 
ing influenced by his spirit, they were actuated by 
that of the destroyer. "Ye then, being evil;" 
said he to all his disciples : " Have not I chosen 
you twelve, and one of you is a devil ? One of you 
shall betray me".... Peter who is the most resolute to 
confess me, shall "deny me thrice. ...and all ye 
shall be offended because of me." Lastly : our 
Lord constantly represented the unregenerate, as 
persons tt diseased and condemned. They that are 
whole," said he, "have no need of the physician, but 
they that arc sick ; I came not to call the righteous, 
but sinners to repentance. Ye are of this world, 
therefore I said unto you, that ye shall die in your 
sins: for if ye believe not that I am He," and re- 
fuse to observe the spiritual regimen I prescribe, 
" ye shall die in your sins* Except ye repent, ye 
shall perish." 



212 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

It is notorious, that John the Baptist prepared 
the way of his adorable Master by preaching the 
same doctrine: " O generation of vipers," said he 
to the pharisees and sadducees, to the prophane and 
professing part of the nation, " who hath warned 
you lo flee from the wrath to come ? Bring forth 
therefore fruits meet for repentance.'' 

It is equally well known, that the disciples were 
instructed by Christ himself to tread in the steps of 
his forerunner : " It behoveth," said he, « Christ 
to suffer ; and that repentance should be preached in 
his name among all nations." Hence an Apostle 
was heard to cry out ; " God now commanded all 
men every where to. repent." And at other times, 
the same divine teacher was inspired to write as 
follows : " We, who are Jews by nature, and not 
sinners of the gentiles, were by nature the children 
of wrath even as others : for we were sometimes 
foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts 
and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and 
hating one another. 

The same doctrine was constantly held forth by 
the other Apostles, as well as by St. Paul. In 
" time past," saith St. Peter, we have " wrought 
the will of the gentiles, walking in lasciviousness, 
lusts, revellings, kc. The whole world lieth in 
wickednesss ;" saith the beloved John : and St. 
James solemnly testifies, that every u friend of the 
world is the enemy of God." 

This humiliating doctrine, which the world uni- 
versally abhors, is a light too valuable to be hidden 
under a bushel : and till it is raised, as it were, 
upon a candlestick of gold, we can never hope t© 
see the visible church enlightened and reformed. 

Observations upon the repentance of worldly men* 

IF it be enquired, do not all ministers preach 
repentance I we answer - } that ordinarily, true mi- 



The portrait of st. tavi. 21S 

lusters alone preach true repentance. The preach- 
ers of the day, as they are conformable to the world 
in other things, so they are perfectly contented with 
practising the repentance of worldly men. Now as 
he who receives only base coin, cannot possibly 
circulate good money, so he, who, satisfies his own 
heart with a short-lived sorrow for sin, cannot pos- 
sibly give free course to that evangelical repentance, 
which the Gospel requires. And it is observable, 
that the hearers of such ill-instructed scribes, gen- 
erally fix those bounds to their repentance, which 
are satisfactory to their impenitent pastors. 

The repentance, we here condemn, may be 
known by the following marks. 

1. It is superficial, and founded only upon the 
most vague ideas of our corruption : hence, it can- 
not, like that of David and Jeremiah, trace sia 
to its source, and bewail the depravity of the whole 
heart. 

2. It is pharisaical, regarding only outward sins* 
The righteousness of the pharisees rested upon 
the most trifling observances, while they neglected 
those weighty commands of the Law, which respect 
the love of God and our neighbour. They afflicted 
themselves, when they had not scrupulously paid 
the tenths of their herbs ; but they smote not upon 
their breasts, when they had rejected the glorious 
Gospel of Jesus Christ, In the same dangerous 
circumstances are those penitents of the present day> 
who are less sorrowful on account of having offend- 
ed God and rejected Christ, than that they are be- 
come objects of ridicule, contempt, or punishment, 
by the commission of some impious or dishonour- 
able action. We frequently hear these false peni- 
tents bewaiHng the condition, to which they have 
reduced themselves, and giving vent to the most 
passionate expressions of sorrow. But, when are 
they seen to afflict themselves, because they have 
not been wholly devoted to God ? Or when do they 



214 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

shed a single tear at the recollection, that they have 
not cherished their neighbour as themselves ? Are 
they ever heard to lament the want of that faith in 
Christ, "which worketh by love ?" Are they ever 
engaged in seeking after that communion of saints, 
by which believers become of one heart and one 
soul ? Alas ! so far are they from this, that they con- 
tinue equally tranquil under the maledictions of the 
Gospel, asunder those of the Law. They hear, 
without terror, those dreadful words of the Apostle, 
" If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let 
him be anathema maranatha :" and though they 
neither love nor know him, yet they vainly look up- 
on themselves, as godly mourners and unfeigned 
penitents. 

3. This repentance is unfruitful, inasmuch as those, 
who repent after this manner, are utter strangers to 
compunction of heart. None of these are constrained 
to cry out, u Men and brethren, what shall we do V 9 
They come not to the Redeemer among such as are 
weary and heavy laden. They have no experience of 
that godly sorrow, by which the true penitent dies to 
sin : and so far are they from being born again of the 
Spirit, that they neither expect, nor desire any such 
regeneration. In short, this repentance, is rarely as 
sincere as that of Judas, who confessed his sin, justi- 
fied the innocent, subdued his ruling passion, and re- 
turned the money he had so dearly gained. 

Evangelical repentance is an incomprehensible 
work to the generality of ministers. Wherever it 
appears, they are prepared to censure it ; and are 
earnest in exhorting men to fly from it, rather than 
request it as a gift from God. Tims, when they be- 
hold any one truly mourning under a sense of sin, 
smiting upon his breast, with the publican, stripping 
off, with St. Paul, the covering of his own righteous- 
ness, and enquiring, with the convicted jailor, " what 
must I do to be saved \" they suppose these to be 
certain signs of a deep melancholy : they imagine 



THE FORTH AIT OF ST. PAUL. 215 

the conversation of some enthusiast has driven the 
man to despair, and will not scruple to affirm, that he 
has lost the proper use of his reason. So true it is, 
that " the natural man receiveth not the things of the 
spirit of God," nor is even able to form any just ideas 
of that repentance, which is the first duty imposed 
upon us by the Gospel, and the first step toward that 
holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. 

The moralists of the present time, acknowledge 
that all men are sinners ; but they neglect to draw the 
just consequences from so bad a truth. To be found 
a sinner before an infinitely holy and just God, is to 
forfeit, at once, both our felicity and existence. To 
appear as an offender in the eyes of our all-seeing 
Judge, is to lie in the condition of a broken vessel, 
which the potter throws aside as refuse : it is to stand 
in the circumstances of a criminal convicted of vio- 
lating the most sacred laws of his Prince. The two 
most important laws of God are those, wdiich require 
piety toward himself and charity toward our neighbour. 
Now if we have violated both the one and the other 
of these laws ; and that, times without number ; it 
becomes us not only to confess our transgression, but 
to consider our danger. When a traitor is convicted 
of treason, or an assassin of murder, he immediately 
expects to hear his sentence pronounced : and thus, 
when a sinner confesses himself to be such, he makes 
a tacit acknowledgment, that sentence of death might 
justly be pronounced upon him. 

Some persons are naturally so short-sighted, that 
they can only discover the most striking objects about 
them. Many in the moral world are in similar cir- 
cumstances, to whom nothing appears as sin, except 
impieties of the grossest kind. If we judge of God's 
commands according to the prejudices of these men, 
idolatry is nothing less than the act of prostrating our- 
selves before an idol ; and murder is merely the act, 
by which a man destroys the life of his feilow-civa- 
oire. But if these deluded persons could conteni- 



31# The portrait or st.pafl, 

plate sin in a scriptural light; if they could avail them- 
selves of the Law of God, as of an observatory 
erected for sacred meditation, their moral view would 
be sufficiently strengthened to discover the following 
truths. 

1. If we have not, at all times, placed a greater 
confidence in the Creator, than in any of his crea- 
tures ; if we have either feared or loved any one 
more than our celestial parent, we have then really 
set up another God, in opposition to the Lord of hea- 
ven and earth. 

2. If neglecting to worship him in spirit and 
truth, we have suffered ourselves to be seduced by any 
splendid vanity of the age, we have sinned, in the 
same degree, as though we had fallen down before a 
molten image. 

3. If, in our conversation, our reading, or our pray- 
ers, we have ever irreverently pronounced the name of 
God, we have then taken that sacred name in vain : 
and God himself declares, that he will not hold such 
a one guiltless. 

4, If we have refused to labour diligently, through 
the week, in the work of our particular calling ; or if 
we have ever made the sabbath a day of spiritual 
indolence and frivolous amusemeut ; then we have 
neglected and broken that Law, which we are peculi- 
arly commanded to remember and keep. 

5. If we have, at any time, been wanting in obe- 
dience, respect, or love, to our parents, our pastors, 
our magistrates, or to any of our superiors ; or if we 
have neglected any of those duties, which our rela- 
tions in society, or our particular vocation has im- 
posed upon us, we have merited that God should cut 
us off from the land of the living. 

6. If we have weakened our constitution by excess 
of any kind ; if we have struck our neighbour in a 
moment of passion ; if we have ever spoken an inju- 
rious word ; if we have ever cast a look directed 
by malice : if we have ever formed in our hearts a 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 217 

single evil wish, against any person whatever, or if w« 
have ever ceased to love our brother ;....we have then 
in the sight of God, committed a species of murder. 

7. If we have ever looted upon a woman with any 
other feelings than those of chastity ; or if we have, at 
any time, cast a wishful glance upon the honours and 
pleasures of the world ; we have sufficiently proved 
the impurity of our nature, and must he considered, as 
living in enmity with God. 

8. If we have received the profit annexed to any 
post or employment, without carefully discharging 
the duties incumbent upon us, in such situation ; or if 
we have taken advantage either of the ignorance, or 
the necessity of others, in order to enrich ourselves 
at their expence ; we may justly rank ourselves with 
those, who openly violate the eighth command. 

9. If we have ever offended against truth in our 
ordinary conversation; if we have neglected to fulfil 
our promises, or have ever broken our vows, whether 
made to God or man ; we have reason, in this res- 
pect to plead guilty before the tribunal of immutable 
truth. 

10. If we have ever been dissatisfied with our lot 
in life ; if we have ever indulged restless desires, or 
have given way to envious and irregular wishes; we 
have then assuredly admitted into our hearts that co- 
vetousness, which is the root of every evil. 

When St. Paul considered the Lav/, in this point 
of view, he cried out: u It is spiritual; but I am car- 
nal, sold under sin." And when Isaiah, passing 
from the letter to the spirit, discovered the vast ex- 
tent of the decalogue, he exclaimed : u Woe is me i 
for I am a man of unclean lips-, and I dwell in the 
midst of a people of unclean lips-' 5 If our self ap- 
plauding moralists would be persuaded to wei^h 
their piety in the same balance, they would find it 
as defective, at least, as that of Isaiah and St. Paul. 

Here, perhaps, some objecting pharisee may 
say ; if I have sinned in "some degree, yet I have 

T 



MB THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 

not committed such crimes as many others have 
done : and I trust, that God will not be severe in at- 
tending to trifling sins. But, 1. These pretended 
trilling sins are ordinarily of so great a number, that 
the multitude of them becomes equivalent to the en- 
ormity of those crimes, which are rarely committed: 
§o mountains and seas are but collections of grains 
of sand and drops of water. 

2. Every voluntary transgression argues a real 
contempt of the Legislator's authority ; and in such 
contempt, there is found the seed of every sin that can 
possibly be committed, in opposition to his express 
command. All the commands of God, whether 
they be great or small, have no other sanction than 
that which consists in his divine authority, and this 
authority is trampled under foot, by every petty 
delinquent, as well as by every daring trans- 
gressor. 

3. Those, which we usually esteem trivial sins, 
are the more dangerous on account of their being 
less attended to* They are committed without fear, 
without remorse, and generally without intermission. 
As there are more ships of war destroyed by worm*, 
than by the shot of the enemy ; so the multitude of 
those, who destroy themselves through ordinary sins, 
exceeds the number of those who perish by enormous 
offences. 

4. We have a thousand proofs, that small sins will 
lead a man, by insensible degrees, to the commission 
of greater? Nothing is more common among us 
than the custom of swearing and giving way to wrath 
without reason ; and these are usually regarded as 
offences of an inconsiderable nature. But there is 
every reason to believe, that they who have con- 
tracted these vicious habits, would be equally dis- 
posed to perjury and murder, were they assailed by 
any forcible temptation, and unrestrained with the 
ur.-nu of foi felting their honour or their life. If we 
judge of a commodity by- observing a small sample; 



..I'RAIT OF ST. PAUL. 219 

so by little sins, as well as by trivial acts of virtue, 
we may form a judgment of the heart. Hence the 
widow's two mites appeared a considerable oblation 
i n t he eyes o f € h r 1st. w h o j u d g e d b y t h em . h o w rich 
an offering the same woman would lrave made, had 
she been possessed of the means. For the same rea- 
son, those frequent exclamations, in which the name 
of God is taken in vain, those poignant railleries, 
and those frivolous lies, which are produced in com- 
mon conversation, discover the true disposition of 
those persons, who, without insult or temptation, 
can violate the sacred laws of piety and love. The 
same seeds produce fruit more or less perfect, ac- 
cording to the sterility or luxuriance of the soil in 
which they are sown. Thus the very same princi- 
ple of malice which leads a child to torment an in- 
sect, acts more forcibly upon the heart of a slanderous 
woman, whose highest joy consists in mangling the 
reputation of a neighbour : nor isthe cruel tyrant ac- 
tuated by adiiTerent principle, who hnds a barbarous 
pleasure in persecuting the righteous, and shed- 
ding the blood of the innocent. 

If prejudice will not allow these observations to 
be just, reason declares the contrary. The very 
same action that, in certain cases, would be esteemed 
a failing, becomes, in some circumstances, an of- 
fence ; and in others, an enormous crime. For in- 
stance.... If I despise an inferior, I commit a fault ; 
if the offended party is my equal, my fault rises in 
magnitude ; if he is my superior, it is greater still : 
if he is a respectable magistrate. ...a beneficent 
prince. ....if that prince is my sovereign Lord, who^e 
lenity I have experienced after repeated acts of re- 
bellion; who has heaped upon me many kindnesses ; 
who means to bestow upon me still greater favoufs: 
and if after all, I have bten led to deny and oppose 
him, my crime is undoubtedly aggravated, by ail 
these circumstances, to an extraordinary degree. 
I3ut, if this offended benefactor is Lord of Lords rod 



220 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

King of Kings.. ..the Creator of man,*., the Monarch 
of Angels. ...the Ancient of days, before whom the ma- 
jesty of all the monarchs upon earth disappears, as 
tlie lustre of a thousand stars is eclipsed by the pre- 
sence of the sim.. ..if this glorious Being has given 
his beloved Son to suffer infamy and death, in-or- 
der to procure for me eternal life and celestial 
glory.. ..my crime must then be aggravated in pro- 
portion to my own meanness, the greatness of bene- 
fits received, and the dignity of my exalted Benefac- 
tor. But our imagination is bewildered, when we 
attempt to scan the enormity, which these accumu- 
lated circumstances add to those acts of rebellion* 
denominated sins. 

They, who are not working out their " salvation 
with fear and trembling, " must necessarily live m 
the practice of some constitutional sin ; and this self- 
indulgence, however secret it may be, will not suf- 
fer them to perceive the demerit of their daily 
transgressions. An old debauchee, whose chief de- 
light has been in seducing women, or an infamous 
murderer, who has shed human blood like water, 
rmy as easily conceive the horror that adultery and 
murder excite in virtuous souls. 

Before we can form a rational judgment of sin and 
tbe punishment it deserves, it becomes us to enter- 
tain just ideas of moral order ; to mark the obliga- 
tion laid upon the supreme legislator to maintain 
that order by wholesome laws, and to discover, in 
some degree, the sanctity, the excellence and the 
extent of those absolute commands. It is necessary 
to understand the dependance of the creature upon 
th e Creator ; since the image formed by the pre- 
sence of an object before a mirror, U not more de- 
pendant upon that object, than all orders of created 
brings depend upon the Creator : if he withdraws 
hjs protecting hand, they are no more; if he stretches 
out the arm of his vengeance, they are plunged, at 
oiice, into an abyss of misery. We must reflect 



THE FORTH AIT OF ST. PAUL. 221 

upon all the various obligations, under which re lie 
to the Almighty, as Creator, Preserver, Redeemer, 
and Comforter. We must consider those examples 
of his vengeful justice, which he has placed before 
our eyes, on purpose to awaken our fears. : together 
with the unmerited favours, by which he hm con- 
stantly sought to engage our greatful affection. It 
becomes us likewise, to observe the vanity of all those 
appearances, by which we are allured into shi : and 
lastly, it is necessary to remember, that 4i God wiu 
bring every work into judgment, with every secret 
thing/' While we pay not a proper attention to 
every one of these circumstances, we must necessa- 
rily form an imperfect judgment concerning the na- 
ture of sin, the- severity with which God has de- 
termined to punish it, and the greatness of that ex- 
piatory sacrifice, by virtue of which his justice and 
his mercy unite in pardoning the penitent. 

When the law of God is wilfully tran .gressed, 
it is ridiculous in any man to attempt the justili ca- 
tion of himself, by pleading that he has committed 
no enormous crimes ; or that, if ever he has been 
guilty of any such offences, his good actions have 
always been sufficient to counterbalance their deme- 
rit. Frivolous excuses ! Is not one treasonable act 
Bumcient to mark the traitor ? Is not that soldier 
punished as a deserter, who flies his colours but a 
single time ? And does not a woman forfeit her ho- 
nour by one moment of weakness ? 

Though we grant there are some sins of a pecu- 
liarly attrocious kind ; yet as murder will always 
appear, before an earthly tribunal, according to its 
horrible nature, so sin will ever be considered as such 
before an infinitely holy God. If a man accused of 
having wilfully poisoned a fellow-creature, would 
address his judge in terms like these ;....The charge 
brought against me is just : but let it be considered, 
that ihe person I have destroyed was only an infant.... 
that he was the child of a common beggar.. .and that 

t 2 



222 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 



this is the only murder I have committed through 
the whole of my life. On the other hand, I have 
been a constant benefactor to the poor; and surely 
a thousand acts of charity will abundantly outweigh 
one little dose of arsenic. No ; the Judge would an- 
swer ; when you prolonged the life of the indigent 
by your alms, you merely performed a duty, which 
is universally required of every worthy citizen , and 
the law allows you nothing on this account. But if 
you have given the smallest dose of poison to any 
human creature, with an intent to destroy his life, 
the law pronounces you a murderer, and will punish 
you as such. 

After our first parents had offended by eating the 
forbidden fruit, they had but vainly excused them- 
selves, in saying :' We have gathered only that, 
which appeared to be of little worth. ...we have tasted 
it but on:e... .moreover, our labour in the garden is 
of much greater value than the fruit we have taken. 
Lord i condemn us not to death for so inconsidera- 
ble an offence. ' Such, however, are the frivolous 
excuses with vhich every blinded moralist contents 
his seared conscience, and with which he hopes ta 
satisfy his omiscient Judge.. When St. Paul was 
one of this class, he practised upon himself the same 
delusions. Capable only of natural sentiments, the 
hidden truths of a spiritual law were not only in- 
comprehensible, but vain and foolish things in his 
estimation. This we learn from the following pas- 
sage in his epistle to he Romans :. u I was alive with- 
out the law once," paying little attention to the spi- 
rituality of its precepts, or the severity of its threat- 
enings, and indulging no suspicion either of my cor- 
ruption, or my condemnation. " But when the com- 
mandment came," in its spiritual energy, " sin re- 
vived, " assuming an appearance suited to its infer- 
nal nature, " and," received a sentence of death in 
myself, " I died. I had not" then " known sin, but 
by the law : for I had not known lust/' which is the 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. *>AL f L. 223 

source of every evil, and first cause of our condem- 
nation, " except the law had said, thou shalt not 
covet." 

Every sincere christian, in imitation of this Apos- 
tle, may with propriety say ; there are various sins, 
which I had never seen as such, but by the light of 
the Gospel : for example, I had lived in security with 
respect to abusing the faculty of speech, and had 
never known the Almighty's intention of judging 
me upon that article, if Christ himself had not 
openly declared ; " Every idle word that men shall 
speak, they shall give account thereof in the day 
of judgment : for by thy words thou shalt he justi- 
fied, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." 
If those, who trust in their own righteousness, would 
seriously examine themselves by the cwofold law of 
Moses and of Christ, they would form a new judg- 
ment cf their spiritual circumstances, and pass, with 
St. Paul, from the state of the pharisee, into that of 
the publican. 

Further.. ..sins of omission, as well as those cf 
commission, are sufficient to draw upon us the ma- 
ledictions of the law, which equally commands us 
to do good and to abstain from evil. Offences of this 
nature are seldom regarded as sins, by the genera- 
lity of mankind : and hence, they are wholly una- 
larmecl at the recollection of them. To lack dili- 
gence in our duties, moderation in our joys, at- 
temion in our prayers, and zeal in our devotions ; 
to live without gratitude toward our divine bene- 
factor, without resignation under losses* patience 
in affliction, confidence in God during times of 
danger, and content in the state to which he has 
called us ; to want humility toward our superiors, 
courtesy toward our equals, affability toward our in- 
feriors, meekness toward those who displease us, 
faithfulness to our word, strict truth in our conver- 
sation) or charity in the judgment we form o£ others 
....All these are things that never disturb the re- 



224 , THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

pose of a worldly man ; nor does he esteem them 
as real offences in the sight of God. He considers 
not, tha* an inattentive nurse may as effectually de- 
stroy a child, by withholding from it proper nou- 
rishment, as though she had obliged it to sip a poi- 
sonous draught ; that a soldier would be condemned 
to death, if the enemy should surprize a town while 
he was sleeping on his post, equally as though he 
had been busy in opening the gates for their admis- 
sion ; and that Christ represents the want of an holy- 
fervour, as the grand reason why lukewarm chris- 
tians excite in him the utmost detestation and ab- 
horrence. An entire chapter in the Gospel is em- 
ployed to teach us, that sins of omission will consti- 
tute the principal cause of a sinner's condemnation 
at the last day. The slothful servant is cast into 
©uter darkness, not tor having robbed another of 
his talent, but for the non-improvement of his own : 
the foolish virgins are excluded from the marriage 
feast, not for having betrayed the bridgroom, but 
because they were unprepared to receive him ; and 
every christian is acquainted with that terrible sen- 
tence, which shall one day be pronounced upon the 
wicked...." Depart from me ye cursed t for I was 
an hungered, and ye gave me no meat," &c. To 
have that " religion, which is pure and undefiled be- 
fore God," it is not only necessary, that we "keep 
ourselves unspotted from the world," but we must 
" also visit the fatherless and widows in their af- 
fliction ;" relieving the unfortunate to the utmost of 
our ability, and exerting our whole power in spread- 
ing truth and happiness among all around us. 

Thus hunted, at length, from many a danger- 
ous shelter, unhumbled sinners will presume to 
adopt the following plea.... we pray, we fast, we 
give alms^ we receive the holy sacrament : and 
what more do you require ? Such was the founda- 
tion of the ancient pharisees' hope: but Christ and 
his Apostles overthrew their vain confidence; by the 



tHE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. H2o 

same arguments, which evangelical ministers are 
still obliged to turn against multitudes of religious 
professors, who indulge an exhalted opinion of their 
own contemptible merits. 

The Gospel requires? say these faithful pastors, 
that, to the external marks of religion, you should 
be careful to add humility and chanty : and if these 
two capital graces are wanting, your religion is but 
a body without a soul. You have received the holy 
sacrament of our church ; but what salutary effects 
have they produced in your life and conversation? 
The circumcision, which saved the Jews, was not 
the circumcision of the flesh, but "that of the 
heart :" and the baptism which saves christians, is 
not that by which the body is sprinkled with- water, 
but that which purities the soul. So the passover, 
which was acceptable to God on the part of the Jews 
consisted not simply in eating the paschal lamb : 
but in penetrating their souls with gratitude, on 
recollecting the many wonderful deliverances, which 
the Almighty had wrought for his people. And the 
communion, which is acceptable on the part of 
christians, consists not merely in receiving the con- 
secrated elements, as various classes of sinners are 
accustomed to do ; but in uniting themselves to the 
Lord by a living faith, and to all his members by 
an ardent charity. You pray. ...And did not the 
Pharisees so ? yea, they were remarkable for thetr 
long and zealous prayers ; but, alas ! while they 
acknowledged God u with their lips their hearts 
were far from him." You give alms. ...but, if you 
mean with these to purchase Heaven, you do but 
deceive your own souls, while your pretended cha- 
rity degenerates into insolence : or, if you merely 
seek to precure the reputation of being charitably 
disposed ; you have your reward. You fast... .but, 
if you do this chiefly through custom, or through 
respect to the orders of your Prince, your fast can 
no more be counted religious, than the regimen 



226 PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 

prescribed you by a physician: and if these fasts 
have not produced in you a sincere repentance, and 
a true conversion, however you may regard them 
as acts of devotion, they are in reality no other 
than acts of hypocrisy. Moreover, the pharisees ? 
fasted twice in the week ; while you, it may be, 
are among the number of those, who imagine 
they have made a valuable sacrifice to God, by 
abstaining from a single repast in a year. 

As pharisaical moralists " have sought out s6 
many inventions," to evade the necessity of an un- 
feigned repentance ; and as philosophizing chris- 
tians rise up with one consent against this doctrine 
of the Gospel ; we shall conclude this subject, 
by disclosing the sources of their common error. 

1 . There are phantoms of virtue, or virtues purely 
natural, which pass in the world for divine. But who 
ever imagined the dove to be really virtuous, because 
she is not seen like the eagle, to make a stoop at 
birds of a weaker frame than herself? or who sup- 
poses wasps to be generous insects, because they are 
observed mutually to defend themselves, when their 
nest is attacked ? Is not the conjugal and maternal 
tenderness of the human species apparent, in an emi- 
nent degree, among various tribes of the feathered 
kind ? And do we not see, among bees and ants, that 
ardent patriotism which was so highly extolled among 
the Romans ? Does not the spider exhibit as manifest 
proofs of ingenuity and vigilance, as the most indus- 
trious artist ? And do not carnivorous animals discover 
all that fearless intrepidity, which is so universally 
boasted of by vain-glorious heroes ? Let us not mis* 
take in a matter of so much importance ; as nothing 
but charity can give to our alms the value of good 
works, so nothing less than the fear of God, and .a 
sincere intention of pleasing him, can give, to our 
most valuable propensities, the stamp of solid virtues. 
If we could completely expose the worthless alloy, 
which worldly men are accustomed to pass off as 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 327 

Sterling virtue, many of those, who now esteem them- 
selves rich in good works, would be constrained to 
* abhor themselves, and repent in dust and ashes." 

2. Many persons indulge too favourable ideas of 
the human heart, through their ignorance of that un- 
sullied purity, which God requires of his intelligent 
creatures. They judge of themselves and others, as 
a peasant judges of a theme replete with solecisms, 
who far from expressing the discernment of a critic, 
admires the vast erudition of the young composer. 
Thus, some external acts of devotion are applauded 
by undiscerning christians, as commendable works, 
which in the sight of God, and before holy spirits, 
appear altogether polluted and worthy of punishment. 

3. If we are sometimes deceived by our own ig- 
norance, we more frequently impose upon others by 
our innate hypocrisy. Unregenerate men, after hav- 
ing thrown a cloak over their distinguishing vices, are 
anxious to make a parade of virtues, which they do 
not possess. The proud man is, sometimes, observed 
putting on the garb of humility, and with the most 
lowly obeisance, professing himself the very humble 
servant of an approaching stranger. Immodesty is 
frequently masked with an affected air of chastity a»d 
bashfulness ; hatred, envy, and duplicity, vail them- 
selves under the appearances of good-nature, friend- 
ship, and simplicity: and this universal hypocrisy 
contributes to render its practitioners less outwardly 
offensive, than they would otherwise be ; as an unhand- 
some woman appears less defective, to a distant be- 
holder, after having nicely varnished over the ble- 
mishes of her face. 

4. It frequently happens, that one vice puts a pe- 
riod to the progress of another. Thus vanity, at 
times, obliges us to act contrary to the maxims of 
avarice, avarice contrary to those of indolence, and 
indolence contrary to those of ambition. A refined 
: c > generally sufficient to overcome contemptible 
vices, and may influence us to the performance of ma- 



228 THE PORTHAIT G¥ ST. PAUL, 

ny exterior virtues. Hence, the impious and sordid 
pharisee went regularly to the temple : he prayed, 
he fasted, he gave alms ; and, by all these appearances 
of piety and benevolence, acquired the commendation 
of the world. Society makes a kind of gain by these acts 
of dissimulation, which are as the homage paid to vif-? 
tue by vice, and by impiety to devotion. But, not- 
withstanding every plausible appearance, that can pos- 
sibly be put on, when the minister of the gospel de- 
clares the fall of man, together with the absolute need 
of regeneration, he is supported at once, by revelation^ 
reason, and experience. 

5. If the moral disorder, with which human 
nature is infected, appears not always at its utmost 
height, it is because regeneration having commenced 
in many persons of every rank, the wicked are over-, 
awed by the influence of their example Add to this, 
that God restrains them, as with a bridle, by his pro- 
vidence, and by those motions of conscience, which 
they vainly endeavour to stifle. It is notorious, that 
the fear of public contempt and punishment, is some- 
times able to arrest the most abandoned in their vicious 
career ; since they cannot discover what they really 
are, without arming against themselves the secular 
power. Thus the terror which prisons and gibbets 
inspire, constrains ravening wolves to appear in the 
garb of inoffensive sheep. But is it possible, that in- 
nocence so constrained, should be accounted of any va- 
lue, even among heathens themselves ? It is impossible, 
since we find one of their own poets declaring.... 

Oderunt fieccare mali,formidine fiim&. 
The wicked abstain from mischief, through fear of 
punishment. And all the recompence, he conceives 
due to such guiltless persons, consists in not becoming 
the food of ravens upon a gibbet : 

non jfiasces in cruce coi r vos. 

6. If servile fear is sometimes the cause of our 
innocence, necessity is more commonly the cause of 
our apparent virtues. A youth of any modesty is 



TK& PORTRiVIT ©F ST. PAt»«L« 229 

generally cautious among his superiors, who afford 
him neither money to indulge, nor liberty to discover 
his inclinations. Now, if this forced discretion should, 
at length become habitual to him, he may in such cir- 
cumstances esteem himself a virtuous man, because 
he has not, like the son of a dissolute courtier, plunged 
himself into every kind of impiety: whereas had he 
enjoyed but equal liberty with the licentious rake, he 
might have surpasssed him in every sinful excess. On 
the other hand, when an infamous voluptuary, en- 
feebled either by age or by his frequent debaucheries, 
finds it absolutely needful to live in more sober and or- 
derly stile, immediately he takes himself for another 
Cato ; not considering that necessity alone is the source 
of his temperance. The least excess disorders his 
health, and the weakness of his stomach obliges him 
to abstain from those luxurious feasts, which he can still 
converse of with so much satisfaction. If such a one 
is virtuous, because no longer able to rush into his 
former excesses ; then we may prove the most incor- 
rigible robber to be an honest man, while the irons are 
on his hands, or when, scared by the officers of justice, 
he flies to some secret retreat. Has that woman any 
reason to boast of her virtuous conduct, who has never 
solicited Ly those men, who were most likely to 
have triumphed over her modesty ? And yet, many 
such filled with self-approbation, will frequently ap- 
plaud their own innocence, placing that to the ac- 
count of virtue, which was merely owing to providen- 
tial circumstances ; or, perhaps to the want of per- 
sonal attraction. Such plausible appearances no 
more merit the commendation due to solid virtue, 
than the sickly wolf, who peaceably passes by a flock 
of sheep, can be said to deserve the caresses, which 
a shepherd bestows upon his faithful dog. 

7. Effectually to impose upon others by a beauti- 
ful outside, we practice a deeper deceit upon our own 
hearts ; and very frequently we succeed as well, in 
hiding from ourselves our own evil dispositions, as m 



'2 30 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

concealing from others our unworthy actions. Coulci 
we discover all that secretly passes in the world, we 
.■should.nat want demonstrative proofs of the depravity 
of the human heart. But why need we go abroad 
in search of a truth, which is easily evidenced at 
home? Mad we ourselves but dared to have executed 
openly, what we have acted in imagination, when 
aur irascible or concupiscible passions have -been 
roused, where should we have hidden our guilty- 
heads, or how should we have escaped the sword of 
justice? Convinced too -late of our degenerate nature, 
we should, haply, have smitten upon our breasts, 
-with the repentant publkran, adopting long ago his 
^humiliating confession, in the anguish of our souls. 
Every thinking person must allow, that had evil in- 
tentions fallen under the cognizance of human laws, 
arid had the secular power possessed equal ability to 
punish ihem, as it punishes those actions, of which 
they are the very root and soul, the whole earth 
must, in such case, have become as vast .a scaffold, 
as it is now a place of groves. Can it be necessary 
to multiply observations upon this head, when the 
Almighty, whose mercy and justice are infinite, suf- 
ficienUy declares the universal depravity of mankind, 
by the variety of scourges, with which He is con- 
strained to punish both individuals and common- 
wealths? 

■8. If the children of this world are unable to form 
any just conception of the human heart and its evil 
propensities, it is because they are in the number of 
.those natural men, of whom the Apostle Paul makes 
mention. And such, having a natural antipathy to 
the Gospel, while they are ever ready to cast reproach 
upon the faithful, are equally prepared to favour those 
of a like disposition with themselves. Thus lierod, 
Caiaphas, and Pilate, mutually overlooked the faults 
of each other, while they united in accusing anil per- 
secuting Christ. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PALL. 2o 1 

It is usual with these, who are destitue of true re- 
ligion, to esteem some among their sinful compa- 
nions, as moral and well-disposed men : but, were 
they themselves to be convened, their error in this 
respect, would soon become apparent. Upon daring 
to oppose any torrent of impiety, with the zeal of 
their heavenly Master, instead of finding among 
their associates any natural disposition to real virtue, 
they would meet with indisputable proofs, in spite of a 
thousand amiable qualities, that all unregenerate 
men resemble one another, in their enmity against 
God. Yes; whether they inhabit the banks of the 
Thames, or the Seine; the lake of Gerjefareth, or 
that of Geneva ; they are in the sight of God, as 
filthy swine trampling under foot the pearls of the 
Gospel, or liks ravening wolves outrageously tear- 
ing in pieces the Lamb of God. 

It might, perhaps, have been objected, that this 
Portrait is overcharged, had not Christ himself, who 
is immutable Truth and unsearchable Love, pencil- 
led out the gloomiest traits observable in it. Follow- 
ing such a guide, though we may give much offence, 
yet we can never err* 



THE SECOND POINT OF DOCTRINE INSISTED UPON B.f 
THE TRUE MINISTER, IS A LIVING FAITH. 

TO shew the necessity of repentance, with- 
out publishing the remission of sins, through faith 
in Jesus Christ, would be to open a wound without 
binding it up. It would be Leading sinners to the 
brink of a tremendous gulph, and cutting off all pos- 
sibility of their retreat. But nothing can be more 
contrary to the intention of the faithful minister, 
than to sport with the miseries of man, or ultimately 
r© aggravate his distress. 






32 XKE F61T»AI"P ©F ST. PAUL. 



When he has discovered to his hearers that na- 
tural propensity to evil, which manifests its exist- 
ence in every heart, by a variety of external trans- 
gressions; when he has convinced them by the 
word of God, and by an appeal to every man's con- 
science, that they are unable to deliver themselves, 
either from that fatal propensity, or its dreadful con- 
sequences : after he has thus demonstrated the 
need, in which they stand of a Redeemer, who hath 
.•" ail power in Heaven and in earth/* if they harden 
TiOt their hearts \ if they stand, like the first sinner, 
-naked and trembling before God, having received 
the sentence of death in themselves.. ..In a word, 
when they cry out, like the publicans and soldiers 
rn armed by the preaching of John, " what shall we 
tio :' 5 They are then properly disposed to receive 
¥ the glorious Gospel of Gh^st*-** and will be enabled 
Vo experience its powerful effects. From this time, 
the evangelical pasior affectionately preaches remis- 
sion of sins through faith in the name of a merciful 
Redeemer. 

This is the very same method, which Christ and 
his forerunner pursued. u Behold the Lamb of 
God, which taketh away the sins of the world," was 
the cry of John the Baptist. And " blessed," said 
our Lord, " are the poo,r in spirit ; for theirs is the 
Kingdom of Heaven. God so loved the world, that 
he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever be- 
lirotih in him, should not perish, but have everlasting 
life, lie that btlieveth on the Son, hath everlasting 
life : and he, that belicvcth not the Son, shall not 
see life ; but the wrath of God abideth on him. 
Whosoever shali drink of the water, that 1 shall give 
him, shall never thirst ; but it shall be in him a 
well of water," a source of sacred consolation, 
u springing up into everlasting life." Again, when 
it was enquired by the multitude, " what shall we do, 
lli at we may work the works of God I Jesus said unto 
them* this is the work of God, that ye believe on him, 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 2o5 

whom he hath sent. All this is the will of him that 
sent me, that every one which seeth the Son and b#- 
lieveth on him, may have everlasting life ; and I will 
raise him up at the last day." Thus it was, that our 
adorable Master proclaimed salvation through faith 
in himself: and, indeed, it was for this end alone, 
that he appeared upon earth ; as we learn from the 
last address he made to his disciples. ..* a It behoved," 
said he, " Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead 
the third day, that remission of sins should he 
preached in his name among all nations, beginning 
at Jerusalem," the abode of his murderers. 

Observe the great commission given to those 
messengers of peace. " Go ye into ail the world, 
and preach the Gospel ta every creature : he that. 
believeth and is baptized shall be saved ; but he that 
believeth not shall be damned*" To the same pur- 
pose was the commission, with which the Apostle- 
Paul was- afterwards honoured. " I have appeared 
unto thee," said the persecuted Jesus, ".for this pur- 
pose, to make thee a minister and a witness to the 
gentiles, unto whom I now send thee, to open their 
eyes, to turn them from darkness to light, and from 
the power of Satan unto God* that they may receive 
forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them that 
are sanctified, by faith that is in me." 

The Apostles unanimously preached in obedi- 
ence to the orders, and in conformity to the exam- 
ple, of their benevolent Lord. And all true minis- 
ters, instructed by the same divine teacher, conti- 
nue to proclaim the glad tidings of the Gospel, 
through faith in Jesus Christ ; laying as much stress, 
in all their sermons, upon this efficacious grace, as 
the Apostle of the gentiles was accustomed to do, in 
all his epistles. Take a few instances of St. Paul's 
usual custom in this respect.. ..After having convinc- 
ed the Romans of their corruption and misery, ] ie 
sets before them " the redemption that is in Christ 
J-esus, whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation 

M 2 






-34 TIi£ PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

through faith in his blood, to declare his righteous- 
ness for the remission of sins that are past : that he 
might be just and the justifier of him which believeth 
in Jesus. Therefore," continues he, " being justified 
by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord 
Jesus Christ." To the Corinthians he writes... • 
$ Brethen I declare unto you the Gospel, which I 
preached unto you, which also ye have received, 
and wherein ye stand ; by. which also ye are saved, 
unless ye have believed in vain." For "ye are justified 
in the name of the Lord Jesus. God hath recon- 
ciled us to himself, by Jesus Christ, and hath com- 
mitted unto us the word of reconciliation : to wit, 
that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto 
himself, not imputing their tresspasses unto them ; 
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew 
no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of 
God in him." To the Galatians...." Knowing that a 
man is not justified by the works of the Law, but by 
the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in 
Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by faith, and 
not by the works of the Law. Before faith came, we 
were kept under the Law. Wherefore the Law was our 
schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ : but after that 
faith is come, we are no more under a schoolmaster. 
For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ 
Jesus." To the Ephesians...." Blessed be the God 
and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath made 
us accepted in the Beloved : in whom we have re- 
demption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins. 
Bygrace are ye saved, through faith : and that not 
of yourselves ; it is the gift of God : not of works 
lest any man should boast. Finally, my brethren, 
put on the whole aimour of God... .above all, taking 
the shield rffhith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench 
ail the fiery darts of the wicked. " The the Philip- 
pians.*.." Stand fast in one spirit, w r ith one mind, 
striving together for the faith of th» Gospel. We 
rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence m 



Stlfi PORTR.AIT OF ST. PAUL. 235 

the flesh.e..Yea ? I count all things but loss, that I 
may win Christ, and be found in him, not having 
mine own righteousness, which is of the Law, but 
that which is through the faith of Chris t,-the righte- 
ousness which is of God by faith." To the Colos- 
sians...." It pleased the Father, that in him [the 
Son] should all fulness dwell ; and (having made 
peace through the blood of his cross) by him to re- 
concile all things unto himself. And you, that were 
sometimes alienated, and enemies in your mind by 
wicked works, hath he reconciled in the body of his 
flesh through death, to present you holy and un- 
blameable in his sight ; if ye continue grounded and 
settled in the faith. As ye have therefore received 
Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him : rooted 
and built up in him, and established in thejfa/M, as 
ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanks- 
giving." To the Thessalonians...." Let us, who are 
of the day be sober, putting on the breast-plate of 
faith : for God hath not appointed us unto wrath ; 
but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, 
who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we 
should live together with him. We are bound to 
thank God always for you, brethren, because that 
your faith groweth exceedingly." Now " the Lord 
shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be ad- 
mired in all that believe. Wherefore we pray that 
our God would fulfil in you the work of faith with 
power ; that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may 
be glorified in you, and you in him. 5 ' To Timothy..*. 
" This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all accep- 
tation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save 
■sinners, of whom I am chief. Howbeit, for this 
cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ 
might shew forth all i©ng-suifering, for a pattern to 
them which should hereafter believe on him to life 
everlasting. For God our Saviour will have all men 
to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the 
truth t For there is one God, ar.d one Mediator be- 



236- TRE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAU£. 

tvveen God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave 
himself a ransom for all. Great is the mystery of 
godliness : God was manifest in the flesh, justified 
in the spirit, seen of Angels, preached unto the gen- 
tiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory- 
God hath saved us, [that is to say, hath put us in pos- 
session of the same present salvation, which the 
sinful woman experienced, who, while she prostrated 
herself at the feet of Jesus, in faith and prayer, re- 
ceived from him* these consolatory sentences ; " Thy 
sins are forgiven thee; Thy faith hath> saved, thee ; 
go in peace.] God hath saved us, not according to 
our works, but according to his own grace, which 
was given u* in Christ Jesus.... who hath abolished 
death, and hath brought life and immortality to light 
through the Gospel. " To Titus*..." Paul an Apostle 
of Jesus Christ, to Titus mine own son after the com*- 
mon faith : grace, mercy, and peace, from God the 
Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour, wha 
gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from 
all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar peo* 
pie, zealous of good works. We ourselves were 
sometimes disobedient, but after that the kindness 
and love of God our Saviour towards man appeared, 
not by works of righteousness which we have done r 
but according to his mercy he saved us«...that being 
justified by bis grace we should be made heirs of, 
eternal life." To Philemon he writes*. .."Grace be 
to you, and peace from God our Father, and 
the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God, hearing 
of thy faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus 
Christ. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be 
with your spirit'." Thus a- persecuted Saviour be- 
came the "Alpha and the Omega'* of this great 
Apostle. 

In his epistle to the Hebrews he uses the same 
language. It begins and concludes with Him, who 
is " the Beginning and the End" of all things. God, 
sailh.he, " hath in these last days spoken unto us by 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 23-7 

his Son, by whom also he made the worlds. Who 
being' the brightness of his Father's glory, and the 
express image of his person, and upholding all 
tilings by the word of his power, when-He had by 
Himself purged our sins, sat down an the right hand 
of the majesty on high. It became Him, for whom 
are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to 
make the Captain of their Salvation perfect through 
sufferings. Forasmuch then, as the children are 
partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself took 
part of the same : that through death, He might de- 
stroy him that had the power of death, that is the de- 
vil ; and deliver them, who through fear of death, 
were all their life-time subject to bondage. Though 
He were a Son, yet learned He obedience by the 
things which He suffered : and being made perfect 
He became the author of eternal salvation. This man, 
because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable 
priesthood. Wherefore He is able to save them 
to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, see- 
ing He ever liveth to make intercession for them. 
Having therefore an High Priest over the house of 
God, let us draw near in full assurance of faith. Now 
faith is the substance of things hoped, for, the evi- 
dence of things not seen: for by it the elders obtained 
a good report who through/^V// subdued kingdoms, 
wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped 
the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, 
escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were 
made strong, waxed valient in fight, turned to flight 
the armies of the aliens. Wherefore, seeing we are 
compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, 
let us run with patience the race that is set be- 
fore us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher 
of our faith. Now the God of peace... .make you 
perfect in every good work to do his will, working 
in you that which is well-pleasing in his signt, 
through Jesus Christ : to whom be glory for ever and 
ever. 1 ' 



25& THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAWL. 

The same Saviour, whom St. Paul was so anxi- 
ous to declare in his epistles, he as constantly 
preached in his sermons. He was no sooner con- 
verted,but, straightway, says St. Luke, " he preached 
Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God." 
Take an abridgement of the first of his sermons, 
which is left upon record, and which, was preached 
at Antioch in Pisidia. After asserting the fulfilment 
of that glorious promise, which had been anciently 
given respecting the birth of our omnipotent Sa- 
viour, he cries out ; " Men and brethren, children of 
the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you 
feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation 
&ent." For the inhabitants and rulers of Jerusalem, 
" because they knew him not," nor understood the 
sense of those prophecies, which are read every sabr 
bath-day, have given them their sad completion, by 
condemning the Lord of life and glory, " Though 
they found no cause of death in Him, yet desired 
they Pilate, that He should be slain. And when 
they had fulfilled all, that was written of Him, they 
laid him in a sepulchre." But God, after three 
days, raised him triumphantly from the grave :: 
"and He was seen many days" of his wondering 
disciples, whom He continued to visit and instruct 
even after his resurrection, that they might become 
* his witnesses to the people. And now, We de- 
clare unto you, that God hath fulfilled the promise, 
which was made unto the fathers, in that lie hath 
raised up Jesus from the dead. u Be it known unto 
you, therefore, men and brethren, that through this 
Man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins : 
and by Him, all that believe, are justified from all 
things, from which ye could not be justified by the 
Law of Moses. Beware, therefore, lest that come 
upon you, which is spoken of in the Prophets. Be- 
hold, ye despisers, and wonder and perish : for I 
work a work in your days, a work which you shall 
hi nowise, betiive, though a man declare it unto you. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAVL. 1S9 

When the cross of Christ and its happy effects are 
thus faithfully declared, the word of God is never 
wholly preached in vain, Some, it is true, will al- 
ways reject, and count themselves unworthy of ever- 
lasting life: But others will rejoice in the truth, glo- 
rifying the word of the Lord; and all those, who, by 
a true poverty of spirit, are disposed -for eternal life, 
shall effectually believe. 

Sometime afterwards, St. Paul delivered a ser- 
mon in the .prison at Phillippi, the capital of Ma- 
cedonia. St. Luke, his historian, has not favoured 
us with this discourse^ but he has transmitted to 
ois the subject-matter of it. Despairing sinner, said 
the Apostle to the affrighted jailor, who lay trem- 
bling at his feet, " believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, 
and thou shaft be saved and thy house. " After 
hearing thus much, the astonished man collected 
his family together, and the Apostle continued his 
discourse, declaring unto them all " the word of the 
Lord/' Such are the small remains we are able 
to collect of this excellent sermon. But though we 
are unacquainted with its several parts, we know 
that it was attended with the happiest effects : for 
before the return of day, this converted jailor 
snatched from the very brink of destruction, was 
seen, with all his believing family, rejoicing, in 
God. 

When the same Apostle was afterwards ap- 
pointed to speak before the senate at Athens, he 
could not wuh propriety, set before those unhum- 
bled philosophers, " the mystery of the Gospel/' 
But after bearing a public testimony against their 
superstition and idolatry, he pressed upon them the 
necessity of an unfeigned repentance : announcing 
Christ as an omniscient Judge, that he might after- 
wards proclaim him as the compassionate Saviour 
of men. To the same purpose was that other ser- 
mon of his, which was delivered before the tribu- 
£ral of Felix ; when the Roman Governor was seen 



240 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

to tremble under the power of an Apostle's preach- 
ing. The little effect produced by these two last- 
mentioned discourses, may be brought as a proof, 
that the most momentous truths are hidden "from 
the wise and prudent," while they are " revealed 
ynto babes." 

It was by proclaiming the same mighty Saviour, 
that St. Stephen obtained for himself the first crown 
of martyrdom among the christians. Behold an 
abridgement of his celebrated apology. " Men, 
brethren, and fathers," you accuse me of having 
spoken blasphemously against Moses. But, on. 
the contrary, I publicly acknowledge him as the 
deliverer of our fathers, and gladly embrace this 
opportunity of reasoning with you from the charac- 
ter of that favoured Prophet, He once supposed 
that by certain of his actions, " his brethren would \ 
have understood, how that God by his hand would 
deliver them." But so far were they from under- 
standing any such matter, that one of them thrust 
him away, crying out in an insulting manner, "Who 
made the a ruler and a judge over us? This Moses" 
however, " whom they" thus refused, was chosen of 
God, to be their future prince and deliverer. "This 
is that Moses, who said unto the children of Israel, 
a Prophet shall the Lord your God ratse up unto 
you of your brethren, like unto me ;'* a Prophet, 
whom you will at first reject, as you rejected me ; 
but who, will deliver you out of spiritual Egypt, as 
I once delivered you from the land of bondage, 
when you gave credence to my word. This pro- 
mised Saviour has already made his appearance 
among us, whom ye have rejected to your own 
condemnation. As our fathers rejected Moses in 
the wilderness, thrusting him from them, and in 
their hearts turning back again into Egypt ; so you 
have rejected your great Deliverer. " Ye uncircuni- 
cised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the 
Holy Ghost : as your fathers did, so do ye. Which 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 24i 

of the Prophets have not your fathers persecuted ? 
And they have slain them which shewed before of 
the coming of the just one, of whom, ye have been 
now the betrayers and murderers : ye who have re- 
ceived the Law by the disposition of Angels and 
have not kept it." ' . 

That the powerful preaching of the Gospel i* 
sometimes made "the savour of death unto death," 
is sufficiently clear from the following account* 
After Stephen had finished this discourse, the hearts 
of his hearerswere transported with rage, insomuch 
that "They gnashed upon him with their teeth. 1 ' 
Meanwhile the holy martyr continued to proclaim 
Christ, and, far from being intimidatedby their threat- 
cnings, looking stedfastly up to heaven, in a kind of 
ecstacy, produced by the strength of his faith, the 
vigour of his hope, and the ardour of his love, he 
cried out: " I see the heavens opened, and the So& 
of Man standing on the right hand of God/ 1 And 
while the multitude ran upon him with stones, after 
committing his own soul to the care of his exalted 
Saviour ; he cried with a loud voice, "Lord, lay 
not this sin to their charge. 9J Behold an apology, 
which was looked upon by the preachers of that 
day, as repkte with ignorance and fanaticism, 
though delivered by an Evangelist, who was filled 
with faith, with power, and with the Holy Ghost! 

The same doctrine was preached by the Etan- 
gelists, who were dispersed abroad by the perse- 
cution excited against Stephen, and was followed 
by the benediction of the Lord. For we find, 
that some of them, entering into the city of Anti- 
och, spake unto the Grecians there, preaching the 
Lord Jesus, and "the hand of the Lord was with 
them, 9 so that "a great number believed and turned 
unto the Lord." 

We shall go on to select a few proofs, that all 
the Apostles were of one heart in this matter, preach- 

x 



242 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAU£. 

mg Jesus Christ as the Saviour of all those, who be- 
lieve in him. 

Though St. James professedly wrote his epis- 
tle- against the error of those, who had destroyed 
the law of charity, by an imaginary faith in Christ,, 
yet so far is he from despising the substantial faith 
of believers, that, as " the servant of God and of 
the Lord Jesus Christ," he exhorts false brethren to 
seek after and manifest it by its proper fruits. He 
even employs a species of irony to point out the 
necessity of this powerful grace : " Shew me thy 
faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my 
faith by my works." He intimates, that our faith 
must be tried by divers, temptations, in order to our 
becoming " perfect and entire" before God s whence 
we learn that, according to his judgment, the per- 
fection, of christians absolutely depends upon the 
perfection of their faith. On this account, he ex- 
horts us to ask wisdom in faiih. And lastly, he de<- 
tiures., that the prayer of faith shall be powerful 
enough to procure health for the sick, and remis* 
sion for the sinfuL 

There needs no more than an attentive perusal 
of this epistle, to convince us, that St. James an- 
nounces a faith which saves the christian, by pro- 
ducing in him hope, charity, and every good work. 

The same doctrine was inculcated by St, Peter 
both in his sermons and epistles. Three thousand 
souls were converted, while he cried out, upon the 
day of Pentecost : u Ye men of Israel, Jesus of 
Na$affe<jh, a man approved of God among you, by 
miracl.es and wonders and signs; him, being deli- 
vered by the determinate council of God, ye have 
tuken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain : 
whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains 
of death, because it was not possible that he, who 
& i\\t resurrection «»ud the life, should be holden 
of it. This Jesu:-„, therefore) being by the right 



PORTRAIT CF ST. PAUL. ^24o 

hand of God exalted, hath shed forth this, which 
ye now -see and hear. The re fore, let all the house 
of Israel, assuredly know, that God hath made that 
same Jesus* whom ye have crucified, both Lord and 
Christ." Now when the convrcted multitude en- 
quired in their distress, " Men and brethren, what 
"sh ill we do V' Peter answered and said: "Repent 
and be baptised every one of you" [that is to say, 
first cordially believe, and then by baptism make a 
public confession of that faith] u in the name of Je- 
sus Christ for the remission of sins, and jp-e^sbaM re- 
ceive t h e gi ft of t h e Hoi y Ghost . " 

His second discourse was to the same effect. 
u The God of our fathers hath glorified his son 
Jesus, whom ye delivered up and denied in the pre- 
sence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him 
go. But ye desired a murderer to be granted unto 
you, and killed the Prince of life, whom God hath 
raised from the dead ; whereof we .are witnesses. 
And faith in his name hath made this man .strong, 
whom ye see and know ^ yea the faith which is by 
him, hath given him this perfect soundness in the 
presence of you all. -. And now brethren, repent ye 
and be converted, that your sins may be blotted 
cut, \\hen the times of refreshing shall come from 
the presence of the Lord." 

His apology before the council was founded upon 
the same divine truths. ".Be it known unto you all 
and to all tne people of Israel, that by the name of 
Jesus of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God 
raised from the dead, even by him doth this man 
stand here before yon v. "hole*. This is the stone 
which was set at nought of you builders, which is 
become the head of the corner. Neither is there 
salvation in any other : for there is none other 
Name under heaven given among men whereby we 
must be saved." Thus St. Peter, "filled with the 
Holy Ghost, spake the word of God with boldness, 
.and with great power gave witness to the resunec- 



£44 THE PORTRAIT ©F ST. PAUL. 

tion of the Lord Jesus." Even after being com- 
manded to speak no more in the name of Jesus, 
be departed from the council, rejoicing that he was 
counted worthy to suffer shame for his Master's 
sake : " and daily in the temple, and in every 
house, he ceased not to teach and preach Jesus 
{Jurist." 

The fourth sermon of this Apostle perfectly cor- 
responds with the foregoing. This discourse was 
delivered in the house of Cornelius the Centurion, 
to whom an Angel had before revealed that Pete* 
should declare unto him things whereby both him- 
self and his house should be saved. Of all the ser- 
mons which have ever been preached, this was, 
perhaps the most effectual ; since it is observed* 
that "the Holy Ghost fell on all them, which heard 
the* word." Take an abridgment of this powerful 
discourse. God hath proclaimed peace " to the chil- 
dren of Israel, by Jesus Christ, whom they slew 
and hanged on a tree." But "He/* being raised 
again by the power of God, " commanded us to 
preach unto the people, and to testify, that it is H& 
v/hich was ordained of God, to be the judge of quick 
and dead. To Him give all the Prophets witness, 
that whosoever believath\x\ him shall receive remis- 
sion of sins. 

And, as in his sermons, so also in his epistles, 
St. Peter was ever anxious to declare salvation 
through faith in the name of Jesus Christ. 

" Peter, an Apostle of Jesus Christ, to the elect 
of GocU Blessed be God, who hath begotten us 
again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Je- 
sus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incor- 
ruptible, reserved in Heaven for you, who are kept 
by the power of God, through faith, unto salvation. 
It is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion 
a chief corner stone, elect, precious : and he, that 
btlievethow Him, shall not be confounded. Unto 
you, therefore, which believe, He is precious : but 



THE POUT RAIT OF ST, PAUL* 243 

unto them, which be disobedient, He is made a store 
of stumbling; and a rock of offence." 

The second epistle of St. Peter was written for the 
-confirmation of the weak, and the establishment of the 
strong*. In the first verse, Christ is represented as 
the author and finisher of our faith : in the last, the 
glory of our salvation is expressly ascribed to the same 
divine person: and these two verses may be given 
as an abridgment of the w T hole epistle. 

This powerful faith, and this adorable Saviour, 
were as constantly proclaimed by the Apostle John. 
Though St. Luke has <not transmitted to us any ex- 
tracts from his discourses, yet his doctrine is suffi- 
ciently manifested in his epistles. 

" If any man sin," saith thus favoured Apostle*, 
<c we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ 
the righteous : and He is the propitiation for our 
sins. He was manifested to take away our sins.... 
And this is the commandment of God, that we should 
believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ. Who- 
soever believelh, is born of God. .—whatsoever is born 
of God, evercometh the world; and this is the vic- 
tory that ovei cometh the world, even ouvfait/i, These 
things have I written unto you that believe on the 
name of the Son of God, that ye may know that ye 
have eternal life, and that ye may" yet more sted- 
fastly "believe." 

a Many deceivers,'' continues the same Apostle 
in his second epistle, a have entered into the world, 
who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the 
flesh. This is a deceiver and an Antichrist. Who- 
soever abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath 
not God ; he, that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, 
hath both the Father and the Son." Here St. John, 
foreseeing the melancholy revolution that would one 
day be effected in the Church by these antichristiau 
teachers, notwithstanding his natural gentleness,* 
cries out against them, with an holy indignation ; 
■ u if there come any unto you, and bring not this d.o<> 

3L 2 



i}4h TEK PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUi.. 

trine, receive him not into your house, neither bid 
him God speed. For he that biddeth him God speed, 
is partaker of his evil deeds." 

In this third epistle, he expresses the utmost joy 
over Gaius, on account of his steady adherence to 
the truth ; assuring him, that he had no greater joy, 
than to hear that his children continued to walk in 
the truths of the Gospel. He commends his charity 
toward the people of God, and exhorts him to conti- 
nue a fellow-helper to the truth, by affording an 
hospitable reception to those, who, with a view of 
spreading that truth, were journeying from place to 
place. 

St. Jude, in his short epistle, writes thus...." Be- 
loved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of 
the common salvation, it was needful for me to ex- 
hort you, that ye should earnestly contend for the 
faith which was once delivered unto the saints. For 
there are certain men crept in unawares, denying the 
only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. But 
ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most 
holy fai'h, praying in the Holy Ghost, keep your- 
selves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of 
©ur Lord Jesus Christ, unto eternal life." 

The concluding book of the new testament, 
abounds with striking testimonies tq the foregoing 
truths, and was added for the consolation of the 
church in every age. It opens with a sublime eulogy 
pronounced upon that incomprensible Saviour, who 
is " the Alpha and Omega, the faithful witness, the 
first begotten of ihe dead !( and the Prince of the kings 
of the earth, who hath loved and washed us from 
our i^ins in his own blood, and hath made us kings 
and priests unto God and his father, for ever and 
ever." 

The faithful, who groan in secret, to behold their 
Master rtjecled by deists, and neglected by the 
greater p*rt of christians, attend, with holy trans- 
port, to the representations here given by St. John. 
ILe.t: ihcy perceive that condescending Saviour, who 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 247 

was dishonoured upon earth, acknowledged and 
adored by the hosts of Heaven. They see the pros- 
trate elders, and behold the innumerable multitude 
of the redeemed assembled before the throne. They 
hear that new song of adoration, in which Angels 
and the spirits of just men made perfect unanimously 
cry out ; " Worthy is the Lamb, that was slaw, to 
receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, 
and honour, and glory, and blessing." These are 
scenes, which the believer is assisted to realize, by 
means of a lively faith, and in which he already bears 
an humble part, ascribing, with his more exalted 
brethren, u blessing and honour and glory and 
power unto him, that sitteth upon the throne, and 
unto the Lamb, for ever and ever." 

This mysterious book concludes with that short 
prayer of St. John, which sh*U one clay be offered 
up with the energy of the Holy Spirit, by ten thou- 
sand times ten thousand of the faithful...." Come, 
Lord Jesus," fully to accomplish thy gracious pro- 
mises. 

If it be here enquired ; Do not all ministers 
maintain this scriptural faith I 1 answer ; It is a 
rare thing, with the generality of ministers, to treat 
on a point of so vast importance: and even when 
they are heard to speak of this mighty grace, they 
represent it as something manifestly different from 
that living faith , by which we are regenerated. If 
ever they discourse with their catechumens on this 
subject, they speak as men, who attempt to teach 
what they have yet to learn. They frequently re- 
peat the word faith, but are unable to open its spi- 
ritual signification. They take it for granted, that 
all their neighbours are possessed of this grace, ex- 
cept those who openly reject the word of God : and 
they become perfectly satisfied with that species of 
faith, against which St. Paul and St. James were 
auihoi ized to denounce the anathemas of- the Gospel. 
On this account, cne of the last texts a worldly pas- 



*$4B TflE -PORTRAIT OF ST. PAtTL> 

tor would make choice of, is that solemn exhortation 
of the Apostle ; " Examine yourselves, whether ye 
be in the faith: prove your own selves; know ye 
not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, 
except ye be reprobates ?" The faith, with whieh 
he contents himself, and Which he publishes to 
others, may be equally possessed, by those, who are 
conformable to this present evil world, and those, 
who " have crucified the flesh, with the affections 
and lusts." It belongs to self-exalting pharisees, 
who boast of their own righteousness, as well as to 
those humble believers, who count themselves un- 
worthy of the benefits they have received. 

Further : so far is the ill-instructed minister 
from preaching the true faith, that he is always 
prepared to plead against it. In confirmation of 
this melancholy truth, take the following relation. 
A believer, whose circumstances frequently engaged 
him in conversation with a worldly man of his 
neighbourhood, once took occasion to offer him such 
advice, as brotherly, charity suggested. After the 
customary civilities. Sir, said he, we ha velived as neigh- 
bours long enough to know one another, and, I pre- 
sume, the intimacy of our acquaintance authorizes 
us to speak to each other without any reserve. It 
lias given me real satisfaction to observe your con- 
stant attendance at our church, and your strict at- 
tention to her most solemn services. Nevertheless, 
permit me to express my fears, that you are not yet 
seeking the Kingdom of God, with that earnestness 
and solicitude, without which it can never be obtain- 
ed. Though you are constant at church, yet you 
are as constant at tables of festivity ; and an ap~. 
proaching entertainment appears to afford you 
greater pleasure, than an approaching sacrament. 1 
regularly observe the gazette upon your table, with 
a variety of new and ingenious publications : but 
I have never found you perusing the sacred pages 
<*f a more important volume. I have heard you 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUX. 249 

speak, in an agreeable manner, upon twenty differ- 
ent things : but cannot recollect, that your conver- 
sation ever turned upon what our Lord has describ- 
ed, as the one thing needful. In shorf, Sir, I ap- 
prehend from your conduct, that you are altogether 
unacquainted with evangelical faith : and if so, your 
hope is as fallacious, as your devotion is pharisaical. 
Neighbour. I am obliged, Sir, by the interest you 
appear to take in my salvation ; but allow me to say, 
with Solomon, there is a time for all things. Be- 
liever. Yes, Sir ; for all that is good. But, if you 
really believe there is a time for all things, is it not 
amazing, that, after you have found four seasons in 
every day convenient for eating and drinking in your 
family, you should find no proper opportunity, 
through the whole course of a week, to pour out 
your prayers with that family before God? Neigh- 
bour. It is true, I do not pique myself upon my 
piety : and I will confess to you, that I frequent th« 
ehurch and the holy communion, rather cut of de- 
cency than choice. But, notwithstanding this, my 
faith is as orthodox as that of my neighbours. We 
all believe in God, as our Creator, and in Christ, as 
our Redeemer, except some few persons, who glory 
in trampling all revelation under foot. For my own 
part, I have never erred from the faith, since I first 
became acquainted with the Apostles' creed ; and 
that was so early in life, that I cannot now recollect 
who first instructed me in it. Believer. It seems 
then, neighbour, that you imbibed your faith, as you 
drew in your nurse's milk : and you have learned 
to believe in Christ, rather than Mahomet, because 
you happened to be taught the English, rather than 
the Turkish Language. Neighbour. That may 
be. However, If I had been a Mahometan, I trust I 
might also have been an honest man. u I give to 
every one his due." This is the grand principle 
upon which I have always acted, and from this, I 
leave every rational man to form a judgment of my 



$50 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 

faith. Believer. Ah Sir ! if such are the principles 
by which your conduct is regulated, then make a full 
surrender of vour heart to God, and consecrate to 
his service those powers of body and soul, which 
you have received from his bounty, and to which he 
basso just a title. But alas! without piety, your 
strict justice is like the fidelity of a subject, who 
fulfils his engagements with a lew particular persons, 
while he withholds the homage due to his rightful 
sovereign. If such a subject can be termed faith- 
ful, then may you, with propriety, be accounted just, 
while you offer not to God that tribute of love, gra- 
titude, adoration, and obedience, which is your rea- 
sonable service. You made a confession but now,- 
that you pique not yourself upon your piety : it 
Would not have astonished me more, had you said, 
that you piqued not yourself upon paying your debts, 
and acting with common honesty in the world. 
Alas, Sir, your boasted principles do not confirm the 
fears, to which your conduct had given rise. I en* 
treat you in the most solemn manner, "examine 
yourself, whether you be in the faith." Neighbour. 
What do you call faith I Believer. The scriptures 
teach us, that we must believe with the heart, and 
that "faith is the substance of things hoped for, 
and the evidence of things not seen." lie, there- 
fore, who truly believes in the Father, the Son, and 
the Holy Ghost, carries within him & lively demon- 
stration of the Almighty's presence, which pene- 
trates him with sentiments of fear, respect, and 
love, for a Being so powerful, just, and p;ood : he 
nossessesan internal evidence of the affection of that 
Redeemer, upon whom alone he groundshis hope of 
salvation, saluting him, with Nathaniel, as " the 
Son of God, the King of Israel :" and he discovers 
in his own heart, the most indisputable testimonies 
of the sanctifying and consoling operations of the 
Holy Spirit. Now, from this three- fold demon- 
stration^, he is enabled to say, with suitable enti* 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 25l 

merits of gratitude and devotion, " Behold what 
manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon u&> 
that we should be called the sons of God ; he hath 
made us accepted in the Beloved, ki whom we have 
redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of 
sins ; and the Spirit itself beareth witness with our 
spirit, that we are the children of God* Tell me, 
then, since you boast of having received the chris- 
tian faith, have you ever experienced those salutary 
eifects of faith, which I have now described ? Neigh- 
bour. If that demonstration, and that lively repre- 
sentation of which you speak, are essential to chris- 
tian faith, I must confess, that to such a faith I am 
a perfect stranger, But the writings of St. Paul, 
whose definition of faith you have just cited, are 
generally looked upon as remarkably dark and mys- 
terious: I wish you had rather quoted St. John. 
Bclitver. I doubt, Sir, whether you will gain any 
thisg by such an appeal, u Whosoever believeth 
that Jesus is the Christ," saith St. John, " is born of 
God. This is the victory, that evercometh the world, 
even our faith. Who is he, that overcometh the 
world, but he that believeth, that Jesus is the Son of 
God r" You perceive, Sir, that, according to this Apos- 
tle, frith is a principle of grace and power, sufficiently' 
forcible and victorious to regenerate and make us par- 
takers of the divine nature, enabling us to triumph 
equally over the most seducing, as well as the most af- 
flicting occurrences in the world. Have ycu obtained*' 
or havey ou even sought the faith? of which such excel- 
lent things are spoken I Neighbour. You embarrass 
me. I never heard the least intimation of such a faith in 
this country. Believer. Indeed, Sir, you are in an 
error, since this very faith is plainly set forth in the 
xv ith chapter of the Helvetic Confession. " The 
" christian faith [say the pious ministers who com- 
^ posed that work] is net a mere human opinion of 
V persuasion, but a state of full assurance : it not only 
" gives a constant and clear assent to, but also com- 



253 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

** prehends and embraces the truths of God, as prop^*- 
" ed to us in the Apostles 5 creed. The soul, by this 
" act, unites itself to God, as to its only, eternal, and 
" sovereign good, and to Jesus Christ, as the centre 
" of all the promises." Have you, then, this divine 
persuasion, this full assurance of the truths of our holy 
religion ? And have you experienced this act, by which 
the soul is united to God, through Christ, as to its so- 
vereign good ? Neighbour. 1 have, undoubtedly, a per- 
suasion, that the word of God is true. But how may 
I absolutely determine, whether or no I am a possessor 
of the faith, of which you speak? Believer. If you 
are possessed of faith, you have some experimental 
knowledge of those happy effects of that grace, which 
are thus enumerated in the same confession. " True 

* faith restores peace to the conscience. It procures a 
u free access to God, enabling us both to approach him 
" with confidence, and to obtain from him the things, of 
u which we stand in need. It retains us in the path 
" of obedience, induing us with power to fulfil our se- 
" veral duties both to God and to our neighbour. It 
" maintains our patience in adversity, and disposes us, 
u at all times, to a sincere confession of our confi- 
4i dence. To sum up all in a single word, it produces 
" every good work." " Let it be observed [says the 
u same confession] that we do not here speak of apre- 
9 tended faith, which is vain, ineffectual and dead, but 
" of a living, effectual and vivifying faith. This is a 
& doctrine, which St. James cannot be understood to 
u combat, seeing he speaks of a vain and presumptu- 

# ous confidence, of which some were known to boast, 
" while they had not Christ living in them by means 
" of faith." Neighbour. " Christ living in them by 
" means of faith." I pray, Sir, what is to be understood 
by this expression ? I do not comprehend the thing. 
But, if I recollect, I shall have an opportunity in a 
few hours, of mentioning the matter to our pastor, 
whom I expect here this evening to make up a party at 
«*irds. The true believer, after thanking his worldly 



tH« PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 253 

neighbour for the patience with which he had lis- 
tened to his conversation, took his leave, and with- 
drew apprehending every evil consequence from 
the decision of a pastor, who was known- to indulge 
a taste for play and vain amusement. His fears 
were too well founded. The minister, true to his 
engagement, arrived at the appointed hour, and the 
gentleman thus eagerly addressed him: I have heen 
receiving some singular advice from a person of a 
very unaccountable turn, who appears to agree either 
with the mystics or the pietists. He spoke much 
of faith, asserting, that all true christians are really 
regenerate, and that they " have Christ living in 
them by faith." What think you, Sir, of such as- 
sertions as these r I will tell you freely, replied the 
minister, that these abstruse points of doctrine are 
among those profound mysteries, which neither you 
nor I are appointed to fathom. It is usual with en- 
thusiasts to speak in this manner ; but such mystic 
jargon is now out of season. There have been ages, 
in which divines were accustomed to speculate con- 
cerning this faith, and publicly to insist upon it in 
their sermons. But, in an age like this, enlightened 
by sound philosophy and learned discoveries, we no 
longer admit what we cannot comprehend. I ad- 
vise you, as a friend, to leave these idle subtilties 
close shut up in the unintelligible volumes of our 
ancient theologists. The only material thing, is to 
conduct ourselves as honest men. If we receive 
revelation in a general sense, and have good wcrks 
to produce, there can be no doubt but our fuith is 
of the proper kind, and highly acceptable before 
God. To this short discourse, the card-table suc- 
ceeded, which served to strengthen the bands of inti- 
macy, between the careless clergyman and his delud- 
ed neighbour : so perfectly alike were their faith and 
their manners. 

The circumstances alluded to in the above rela- 
tion, are not imaginary ; and there is every reason 

T 



254 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

to fear, that circumstances of the same nature, are 
no less common in other christian countries, than 
in that which gave birth to the writer of these 
pages. 

Thus the worldly minister, instead of preaching 
this important doctrine in its purity, seeks to de- 
stroy even the curiosity, which would engage an 
irreligious man to enquire into the necessity, the 
nature, the origin, and the effects of evangelical 
faith. And while the generality of those, who are 
required to publish this victorious grace, are seen: 
to reject it with contempt, no wonder that the true 
minister esteems himself obliged to contend for 
it, with increasing earnestness, both in public and 
in private. 

To close this section. When the christian mi- 
nister proclaims salvation by faith, he adheres not 
only to the holy scriptures, but also to those public 
confessions of faith, which are in common use 
among the churches of Christ. " We believe," say 
the churches of France, " that every thing neces- 
" sary to our salvation, was revealed and offered to 
" us in Christ, who is made unto us wisdom, righ- 
% teousness, sanctification, and redemption." Art, 
xiii. " We believe, that we are made partakers of 
li righteousness by faith alone ; since it is said, that 
" he [Christ] suffered in order to procure salvation 
" for us, and that whosoever believed} in him shall 
" not perish." Art. xx. " We believe, that, we 
" are illuminated by faith, through the secret grsee 
" of the Holy Spirit/' Art. xxi, " We believe 
" that, by this faith, we are regenerated to newness 
u of life, being by nature in bondage to sin. So 
" that faith, instead of cooling in us the desire of 
ic living righteously and godly* naturally tends to 
4( excite such desire, and necessarily produces every 
"good work." Art. xxii. 

Such also is the doctrine of the Helvetic Confes- 
sion. " We believe, with St. Paul, that sinful man 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 255 

44 is justified by faith alone in Jesus Christ, and not 
44 by the law. Faith receives Jesus, who is our righ- 
44 teousness ; and on this account judication is at- 
44 tributed to faith. That by means of rfaith we re- 
44 ceive Jesus Christ, he himself has taught us in the 
44 Gospel, where he significantly uses the terms ap- 
44 plied to eating for believing' : For, as by eating we 
44 receive bodily nourishment, so by believing, we 
44 are made partakers of Christ. " Chap. xv. " Man 
44 is not regenerated by faith, that he should continue 
44 in a state of indolence, but rather that he should 
44 apply himself, without ceasing, to the performance 
44 of these things, which are useful, and good : since 
44 the Lord hath said, 4i every good tree bringeth 
41 forth good fruit : He that abideth in me, and I 
44 him, the same bringeth forth much fruit." 

The church of England expresses herself in the 
following terms upon salvation by faith, and the good 
works produced by that faith. u We are accounted 
44 righteous before God, only for the merit of our 
44 Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, by faith, and not for 
44 our own works and deservings. Yv 7 herefcre, that 
4% we are justified by faith only, is a most whole- 
" some doctrine, and very full of comfort.' 5 Art. xi. 
44 Good works do spring out necessarily of a true 
44 and lively faith, insomuch that by them a lively 
44 faith may be as evidently known, as a tree discerned 
44 by the fruit." Art. xii. 



THE TRUE MINISTER GOES ON TO ANNOUNCE A 
LIVELY HOPE. 

44 GODLINESS with contentment is great 
gain :" And the pastor, who is possessed of so inva- 
luable a blessing, cannot be backward in soliciting 
all, within the circle of his acquaintance, to share it 



255 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL* 

with him. Happy in the enjoyment of that precious 
secret, which enables him to rejoice without ceasing* 
he readily communicates it to the afflicted, by lead^ 
ing them to that lively hope, which consoles and 
sustains the heart of every believer. 

In a world, where the bitterness of evil is conti- 
nually increasing : where we discover the scourges 
of a God, who will not fail to chastize his rebellious 
ereatures ; where disappointment and death suc- 
cessively deprive us of our dearest comforts, and 
where the forerunners ofdeath are continually weak* 
ening all out imperfect enjoyments : in such a world, 
it is evident that the most exalted pleasure we are 
eapable of, must spring from a well-grounded hope 
of those immortal joys, which are reserved for the 
righteous. The language of mortality is too feeble 
to describe either the power, or the sweetness of 
such an hope. Here we can only cry out with the 
Psalmist, " O taste and see how gracious the Lord 
is,*' in providing so potent a cordial for those, who 
are travelling through a vale of tears. 

The lively hope, which gives birth to a believer's 
felicity, is one of the most exhilarating fruits of his 
faith, and is inseparably connected with it, since 
u true faith is the substance of things hoped for/' 
In proportion as the truths and promises, upon which 
faith is founded, are evidenced and apprehended, 
such will be the hope with which that faith is accom- 
panied. If Moses then, by the faith which he pro- 
fessed, was enabletl to renounce the prospect of an 
earthly crown, with the hope of obtaining a more 
glorious inheritance; if he esteemed " the reproach 
of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt, 
having respect unto the recompence of reward ;" 
what may not be expected from an hope founded 
upon those precious promises, which have been 
sealed with the blood of that condescending Saviour, 
who " brought life and immortality to light through 
the Gospel? The law/' saith the Apostle, " made 



THE PORTRAIT OP ST. PAUL. 2 57 

nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope 
did ; by the which we draw nigh unto God. Seeing 
then, that we have such hope," continues the same 
Apostle, " we all, with open face beholding, as in a 
glass, uhe glory of the Lord, are changed into the 
same image, from glory to glory." 

We every day observe the men of the world ex- 
ulting in the hope of some temporal advantage. The 
prospect of an honorable title, an augmentation of 
fortune, an advantageous marriage, or even a poor 
party of pleasure, is sufficient to allure, to animate, 
to enrapture them. They will even acknowledge, 
that the flattering hope of future pleasure is sweeter 
than enjoyment itself. Who then shall attempt to 
declare those transports, which flow from the lively 
hope of a triumphing christian? A hope which is 
founded upon the Rock of ages, and which has for 
its object, riches, honours and pleasures, as much su- 
perior to those of worldly men, as the soul is superior 
to the body, heaven to earth, and eternity to the pre- 
sent fleeting moment. 

The true minister publicly announces this hope 
to the world, persuaded that if mankind were once 
happy enough to possess it, they would exchange a 
load of misery for a prospect of blessedness. But 
since he knows, that this hope can never be admitted 
into hearts replete with sin, his first concern is to 
overthrow the vain confidence of the impenitent, la 
undermine the presumption of the pharisaical, and 
to point out the true distinction between a sin- 
ner's groundless expectation, and the well-founded 
hope of a believer in Christ. 

In every place, there are many to be found, who, 
without evangelical faith or hope, ate filled with a 
presumption as blind as that of the Pharisees, and as 
fatal as that cf Heathens hardened in theis* sin. To 
every such person, the true minister uniformly de- 
clares, that he is without Chrisi, without u hope, and. 
without God in the world." These .very men, it is 

y 2. 



258 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

probable, may offer to the t)eity a formal worship, 
and indulge high expectations from the mercy of a 
divine Mediator, though they are totally destitute of 
an unfeigned " repentance toward God, and a true 
faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ." Thus far the 
unconverted may proceed in a seemingly religious 
course. But the regenerate alone can truly say, 
" The grace of God, that bringeth salvation, hath 
appeared unto all men, teaching us that, denying 
ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, 
righteously and godly in this present world: looking 
for that blessed hofie y and the glorious appearing of 
the great God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ." 

The hope of unrighteous men is founded upon 
pride, false notions of the Deity, ignorance of his 
law, and those prejudices, which the irreligious com- 
municate one to another- On the contrary, the hope 
of believers has for its basis, the word of him u who 
feannot lie. Whatsoever things were written afore- 
time," saith the Apostle, u were written for our learn- 
ing that we" [the children of God] " through pa- 
tience and comfort of the scriptures might have 
hope." It is founded not only upon the word, but 
equally upon the oath, of God. " Men verily swear 
by the greater ; and an oath, for confirmation, is to 
them an end of all strife, Wherein God, willing 
tnore abundantly to shew unto the heirs of the pro- 
mise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it 
by anoath: That by two immutable things, in which 
it was impossible for God to lie" [namely his word 
and his oath] " we might have strong consolation, 
who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the /wfie set 
before us, which hope we have as an anchor of the 
soul, both sure and stedfast." 

When the faithful minister has rooted up every 
false hope, he then announces Jesus Christ, who hath 
brought in a better hope than that of Heathens or 
Jews. Observe here the reason, why those pastors, 
who preach not Christ, are incapable of doing any 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 259 

thing toward the furtherance of that living faith, of 
which Christ is the grand object, and that lively 
hope, of which he is the inexhaustible source. Jesus 
Christ, saith St, Paul, is our hope : and we declare 
unto you, " the mystery, which hath been hid from 
ages," and is still hidden from worldly men, " which 
is Christ in you, the hofle of glory." Thus the ever- 
lasting Son of the Father, is made to his true fol- 
lowers the beginning, and the consummation of hope, 
as well as " the author and finisher of our faith." 

By the mercy of God, and through the redemp- 
tion that is in Jesus Christ, the believer has already 
received the promise of a free pardon for past offen- 
ces : otherwise he deserves not to be termed a be- 
liever ; at least, he is destitute of evangelical faith* 
But when he sincerely receives the glad tidings of 
redeeming grace, he then receives Jesus Christ, in 
whom u all the promises are yea and amen :"and he 
would conduct himself in a manner, contrary to that, 
which both reason and scripture prescribe, if he should 
refuse to rejoice in God his Saviour. By such a mode of 
acting, he would prove his want of gratitude for that, 
"which Christ hath already done, and of hope for that, 
which he hath promised still to perform. But when 
he gives himself up to a joy, as reasonable, as it is 
refreshing, he then answers the gracious designs of 
his benevolent Lord. Continually taken up with 
more satisfactory enjoyments, he despises the seduc- 
ing pleasures of sin. He carries in his own bosom 
a source of celestial pleasure, while the man of the 
world disquiets his heart in the vain pursuit of 
earthly joys. The difference between the enjoy- 
ments of these two characters is as great, as betwixt 
the rational pleasure of those, who gather their 
wheat into the barn, and the puerile mirth of chil- 
dren, who are busied in collecting the scattered 
straws and thorns ; the former are securing an in- 
estimable treasure, while the latter have nothing 



260 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL* 

more in view, than to dance round a short-lived 
blaze, the truest emblem of a sinner's satisfaction. 

In the Holy Scriptures very excellent things are 
spoken of the hope which produces this sacred joy. 
1. It is a divine hope, since it has for its object the 
enjoyment of God, and because it draws supplies of 
strength from that Holy Spirit, which discovers to 
believers the greatness and stability of gospel pro- 
mises. Thus St. Paul teacheth us, that" the Father 
of glory giveth us, the Spirit of wisdom and revela- 
tion ; enlightening the eyes of .our understanding, 
that we may know what is the hofie of our calling, 
and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance 
among the saints." 

2. It gives honour to the faithfulness and power 
of God. Abraham, saith St. Paul, against all hu- 
man probability, believing " in hofie, staggered not 
^tt the promise ; but v/as strong in faith giving glory 
to God : being fully persuaded, that what he had 
promised, he was able also to perform. Therefore, 
being justified," like Abraham, " by faith, we re- 
joice," continues the Apostle, with a confidence like 
his, " in hope of the glory of God. And" this " hope 
maketh not ashamed," How unlike the fallacious 
hope of worldly men, who are frequently put t<s> 
shame by their blasted expectations. 

3. This hofie is said to fill us with a holy joy. 
" Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus 
Christ," saith St. Peter, " who hath begotten us 
again unto a lively hofie, by the resurrection cf Je- 
sus Christ from the dead. Wherein ye greatly re- 
joice." And on this account it was, that the Apostle 
Paul prayed, with such ardour, for an increase of hope 
among believers.. .." Now the God of hope fill you 
with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may 
abound in hofie through the power of the Holy 
Ghost." 

4. It actually saves us, as St. Paul himself de- 
clares in the following words : " I reckon, that the 



*fHE PbittRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 26*1 

sufferings of the present time are not worthy to be 
compared with the glory which shall be revealed in 
us. And," supported by this sweet persuasion, " we 
wait for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our 
body. For," in this respect, M we are saved by 
hope." 

5. It is equally sweet and solid ; since it rests 
upon the right which the children of God may claim 
to the inheritance of their heavenly Father ; a sa- 
cred right which is confirmed to them with the ut- 
most solemnity in the new Testament. Now every 
man, who receives, with sincerity, the Lord of 
life and glory, receives with him a title to everlast- 
ing possessions, and ranks, from that moment, 
among " the sons of God." So that to such, the 
following passages may, with propriety, be applied.-.. 
" He hath made us accepted in the beloved., ..In 
whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word 
of truth, the gospel ©f your salvation : in whom also, 
after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that 
Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our 
inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased 
possession." 

6. It purines us. " Now are we," saith St. 
John, " the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear, 
what we shall be : but we know that when he shall 
appear, we shall be like him ; for we shall see him 
as he is. And every man, that hath this ho fie in 
him, purifieth himself,even as he is pure. Whosoever 
is born of God," or regenerated by a true faith and a 
lively hope, " doth not commit sin : for his seed re- 
maineth in him : and he cannot sin, because he is 
born of God." The truth of this assertion is clear to 
the eye of reason. We fall into sin, because we suf- 
fer ourselves to be seduced by the allurements of 
some transitory good, which presents itself either to 
our senses or imagination. But when we are once 
persuaded, that infinite enjoyments await us, we 
can tfien look with contempt upon those deceitful ap« 



562 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 






pearancess and after our hearts are animated with a 
confident hope of possessing those invisible realities, 
the charm of sin is broken- In such a state, we 
break through temptations with as much resolution, 
as a prince, who is going to take possession of a 
kingdom, renounces the little amusements, that oc- 
cupied his thoughts before they were engrossed by a 
concern of so vast importance. " Who is lie that 
overcometh the world, except the man who believes 
with that faith which affords him a lively represen- 
tation of things hoped for ? Compare 1 John v. 5. 
with Heb* xi. 1. 

7. This lively hope produces charity in the soul. 
" We give thanks to God," saith the Apostle, " pray- 
ing always for you, since we heard of the love, which ye 
have to ail the saints ; for the /lofie^ which is laid up for 
you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of 
the truth of the Gospel." Nay, of so prevailing an in- 
fluence is this solid hope, that the Apostle imimates, 
in the same chapter, that believers sha*] be presented 
before God, " holy and unblamable," provided they 
be not " moved away from the hope of the Gospel. 
For," continues he, we are made partakers of Christ, 
if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast 
unto the end. And w r e desire, that every one of you 
do shew the same diligence to the fi.il assurance pf 
hope unto the end : that ye be not slothful, but follow- 
ers of them, who through faith and patience inherit 
the promises." 

8. This hope is full of consolation. " We, who 
remain," saith the Apostle, " shall be caught up to 
meet the Lord in the air : and so shall we ever be 
with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with 
these words. Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, 
and God even our Father, which hath loved us, and 
hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope 
through grace, comfort your hearts." When w r e ob* 
serve among us some, who are disquieted and c-ist 
down, who want courage to support alliiction without 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAXIL. $63 

impatience, and to fill up their duties with cheerfulness, 
we then behold persons who never enjoyed, or who 
have unhappily lost, the lively hope of true christians. 
If all ministers of the Gospel had experienced the 
sweetness and power of this hope, with what pleasure 
would they publish it to the afflicted. And with what 
perseverence would they join to their discourses the 
most ardent prayers, that all their hearers might come 
to the enjoyment of so invaluable a blessing. 

When the true minister leads his flock to this lively 
and joyful hope, he treads in the footsteps of his di- 
vine Master. Christ, it is true, began his ministry by 
preaching repentance. But in the very next chapter 
we find him placing before the believer's eye, beati- 
tudes and promises of the most consolatory nature. And 
in a variety of passages, he exhorts his followers to 
the exercise of a joyful hope in the severest trials, 
making that an indispensible duty, which is indeed a 
glorious, privilege. " Fear not them," saith he,'* 
" which are not able to kill the soul.... The very hairs 
of your head are all numbered.... whosoever shall con- 
fess me before men, him will I confess also before my 
Father which is in heaven. Fear not little flock ; 
for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the 
Kingdom. I give unto my sheep eternal life, and they 
shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of 
my hand." 

He appears anxious, that his peeple should be par- 
takers of his peace, his joy, and his hope, till they 
come to the possession of consummate blessedness. 
" These things have I spoken,*' saith he " that in me 
ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tri- 
bulation : but be of good cheer ; I have overcome the 
world. Let not your heart be troubled. I go to pre- 
pare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place 
tor you, I will come again, and receive you unto my- 
self ; that where I am, there ye may be also. Ye now 
have sorrow : But I will see you again, and your heart 
shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you." 



264 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 

He exhorts them continually to expect his return ; 
and even condescends to mention the very terms in 
which he will, at that time, salute every waiting be- 
liever. 

The prayers of Christ, as well as his exhorta- 
tions and promises, tend to produce and support the 
most exalted hope in the souls of believers, he has 
graciously interceded for them ; he still continues 
to make intercession, and his prayer is always pre- 
valent. Mark a few sentences of that memorable 
prayer, which he once offered up for all his follow- 
ers, and which forms the 17th chapter of St. John's 
Gospel. " O Father ! I pray not for the world, but 
for them, which thou hast given me. Holy Father! 
keep through thine own name, those whom thou hast 
given me : and sanctify them through thy truth.... 
Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also, 
which shall believe on me through their word ; that 
they may all be one, even as we are one. Father ! 
I will, that they whom thou has given me, be with 
me where I am, that they may behold my glory." 

A lively hope founded upon these prayers and 
declarations of the blessed Jesus, enabled the pri- 
mitive christians to triumph over every affliction.... 
In the midst of the most terrible persecutions, they 
could congratulate one another on their common 
blessedness, and say ; " Our life is hid with Christ 
in God 5 and when Christ, who is our life shall ap- 
pear, then shall we also appear with him in glory. 
For he shall yet come to be glorified in his saints, 
and to be admired in all them that believe." 

The Apostles, agreeable to the example of their 
Master, w^ere unanimous in publishing this glorious 
hope : and St. Paul very frequently insists upon it, as 
a most important duty. u Let us," saith he, u who are 
of the day be sober, putting on the breast-plate of 
faith and love, and for an helmet the hope of salvation. 
I beseech you, brethren, present your bodies a living 
sacrihee unto God.. ..rejoicing in hope. Rejoice m 



PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL* 265 

the Lord alway : and again, I say, rejoice." This 
« evangelical hope" will ever be experienced, as a ne* 
rer-failing source of consolation and thankfulness : and 
hence, wherever the hope of the Gospel is preached, 
there believers continue to be filled with unspeakable 
joy. How truly happy would christians be, were such 
an hope to flourish among them ! Far from disputing 
any longer for the trifles of time and sense, they would 
joyfully renounce them all, in expectation of an eternal 
inheritance ; and instead of running to the frivolous 
amusements of the world for a momentary recreation, 
every passing day would appear too short for the ex* 
hilarating duties of praise and thanksgiving. 

It is asserted by many, that this divine hope is usu- 
ally preached by every minister. That preachers in 
general are accustomed to exhort their hearers, in a 
cold and languid manner, to hope in, divine mercy, 
will readily be granted : but that such do not publish 
the " real, evangelical hope" of christians, may be 
easily proved beyond the possibility of a doubt. We 
have seen, in the preceding sections, that the mi- 
nister of the present day is unacquainted with this 
hope ; that he is even without any just ideas of that 
true repentance, and that living faith, from which 
alone this hope can flow : and hence, it is impossi- 
ble for him in the nature of tilings, to publish it in 
the church of God. In vain has Christ himself de- 
clared, that the " broad way'*' will conduct multi- 
tudes to destruction, and that " except a man be 
born again, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of 
God :" in spite of these solemn declarations, the 
worldly pastor still imagines, that this very way will 
conduct him t6 life, and that he shall be counted 
among the inhabitants of that Kingdom, without 
scriptural regeneration. lie supposes, at least, that 
he is sufficiently sanctified, though his righteous* 
ness exceeds not that of the pharisees, nor his de- 
votion that of the Laodicean church. Thus enter- 
taining a vain hope in his own heart, and indulging 



z 



266 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

a confidence, which is repugnant to the concurrent 
testimonies of every sacred writer, he necessarily 
leads his hearers into the same dangerous delusions. 

As in order solidly to found our hopes upon a 
benefactor, or a surety, it is necessary to have an 
acquaintance with the person, who presents himself 
in either of these characters ; so the lively hope of 
which we speak, must flow from an experimental 
knowledge of God, by Jesus Christ : " This is eter- 
nal life, that ihey may know Thee the only true 
God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent." But 
the children of this world, whether they be laymen 
or ecclesiastics, are without this knowledge. They 
know neither the Father, nor the Son : and were it 
otherwise, the love of the world would not have do« 
minion over them. 

This lively hope can never dwell in an unrege- 
nerate heart. The child, that is not born, cannot 
possibly rejoice in hope of possessing the heri- 
tage of his father ; since he is equally unacquainted 
with his parent, and the patrimony, that is likely to 
be reserved for him. It is, therefore, absolutely 
necessary to be born of God, before we can exercise 
this exhilarating hope. Now a man is thus born 
when he is regenerated by that spirit of adoption, 
which God hath promised to those, who sincerely 
believe in Jesus Christ. But they, who are con- 
formable to the maxims of the world, are not able 
to receive this vivifying spirit. " I will pray the 
Father,'* said Christ to his disciples, "and he shall 
give you another comforter, that he may abide with 
you for ever, even the spirit of truth, whom the 
world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, nei- 
ther knowcth him ; but," being already regenerate 
hi part, k * ye know him for hedvveiieth with you, and 
shall be in you," when you are fully born of the 
$pirii'« It is not, till after the accomplishment of 
tiiis promise has been experienced, that the follow- 
ing cx*;>r#s&kma can be perfectly im.de i stood...." Know 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 267 

ye not, that your body is the temple of the Holy 
Ghost ? now the God of hope nil you with all joy 
and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, 
through the power of the Holy Ghost." 

Far from preaching this primitive hope, the 
worldly minister is alarmed at the bare mention of it. 
Let it here be observed again, that this celestial 
plant can flourish only in those hearts, where the word 
of God, sharper than any two-edged sword, has cut 
down every unfruitful appearance of pharisaical 
hope. Now when a true minister is engaged in 
performing this painful operation, cutting away the 
mortified members of the old man, and plucking 
from pride its unprofitable supports ; the inexperi- 
enced minister preposterously takes offence at his 
holy zeal, and censures this necessary severity, as 
leading souls into horrors of despair. Slow of under- 
standing in spiritual concerns, he comprehends not, 
that they who recline themselves upon a broken 
reed, must give up all the confidence they foolishly 
place in so slender a prop, before they can effectu- 
ally choose the Rock of ages for their support. 

The true character of these fabe Apostles is 
not generally known. Covering their impiety with 
the cloak of religion, they are supposed by many to 
act on the part of Christ, and are frequently esteem- 
ed as pillars in the church. But there are occasions* 
on which they unwittingly throw off the mask, and 
make an open discovery of their secret thoughts. 
Some few persons are found in the world, who, re- 
fusing to attend card assemblies, rejoice to be pre- 
sent in those less polite assemblies, which are form- 
ed for the purpose of prayer. Here it is usual for 
consenting neighbours to take sweet counsel together, 
and wrestle with ardour for the hope of the Gospel, 
in words like these :...." Gracious Father I forgive 
u the sins of thy returning children, and grant us 
" an increase of spiritual strength. Sensible of our 
" own unworthin-ess, assist us to place all our con- 



2$8 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAVL, 

"fidence in thine unbounded mercy, manifested 
44 through Jesus Christ. Increase our faith in the 
44 Son of thy love, and confirm our hope in thine un- 
44 changeable promises. O thou divine Saviour ! 
44 descend this day into our hearts as thou didst once 
u descend upon thy first disciples. Consecrate us thy 
<* living temples, fili us with thy graces, and, during 
14 the time of our earthly pilgrimage, vouchsafe to 
" lead us with the right hand of thy power. Let not 
¥ thy spirit of illumination and holiness, thy spirit of 

* consolation and joy, abandon us for a moment, as 
** we pass through this valley of tears. May its 
44 potent operations subdue in us the power of sin 
« and produce in our outward conversation the happy 
« fruits of righteousness, peace and joy. Permit us 
44 at this time, to return to our houses, with a con- 
^ sciousness of thy love, and an assurance of thy fa* 
64 vour : and grant that, after having been the tern- 
41 pies of thy Spirit upon earth, we may one day be 
44 received into the temple of thine eternal glory in 
44 the Heavens/' 

A worldly minister, on a certain time, entering 
into an assembly of this kind, heard the prayers of 
these humble believers ; and as much surprised to 
see the ardour with which they offered their peti- 
tions, as to observe the time and place in which they 
were presented, withdrew from their society, with 
as much indignation, as a good pastor would retire 
from a company of jugglers. But having under- 
stood that one of his own parishioners was of the 
religious party, he took the earliest opportunity of 
testifying the utmost disapprobation of his conduct. 
4 What was it,' said he, 'that you was doing with those 

* people the other day, in such a place ? Conventicles 
4 of that kind are contrary to order, and unworthy of 
4 toleration. The Church is the only proper place 
4 for the performance of divine worship ; moreover* 
i 1 heard you foolishly praying for, I know not what 
^onsQlation, light, and power, of the Holy Spirit* 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. %€9 

c Receive in good part the advice I offer you... 
4 Look upon inspirations and illuminations of this sort, 
^as no other than the idle fancies of visionaries and 
< enthusiasts : renounce the imaginary assurance, 
4 with which you do but deceive yourself, and repose 
i upon the hope which I have constantly preached to 
1 you ; a hope, with which you and your neighbours 
i may very well rest contented.' Confounded with a 
discourse of this kind, a weak and inexperienced 
christian might have been drawn aside from the nar- 
row path of truth. But the person here alluded to, 
by citing Eph. i. 17, 18. was enabled to prove, that 
the very same illumination and power, which were 
treated so contemptuously by his opponent, were ne- 
vertheless absolutely necessary, as the ground-work of 
a solid hope. Nay, be pushed the matter still further ; 
and asserted, that the prayer, against which the zeal- 
ous pastor had so angrily exclaimed, was used in ex- 
act conformity to those very petitions, which he him- 
self was inconsistently heard to offer at the feast of 
Pentecost, and at other solemn seasons. 

If this little relation faithfully describes the man- 
ner of thinking, which is too common among the 
clergy of the day, is it not evident, that they are 
more disposed to ridicule, than to preach, the chris- 
tian hope ; and abundantly more earnest to obstruct, 
than assist their parishioners, in the pursuit of ever- 
lasting blessedness ? 

When the dawn of this glorious hope first be- 
gan to glimmer : when, at the descent of the mount 
of Olives, the whole company of the disciples be- 
gan to praise God with a loud voice, strewing the 
way by which their Lord was to pass, with garments 
and branches of trees, and crying out before him 
t; Hosanna to the Son of David : blessed is he that 
cometh in the name of the Lord : Hosanna in the 
highest IV Some of the pharisees, who had mixed 
among the multitude, rudely exclaimed ; " Master, 
rebuke thy disciples.'* And when he was entered 

z 2 



%fQ SHE PORTRAIT OF ST„ PAUL. 

into the temple, the chief priests and scribes 
[those models by which the generality of ministers 
seem anxious to form themselves] seeing " the 
wonderful things that he did, and the children cry- 
ing Hosanna, were sore displeased, and said unto 
him, hearest thou what these say V And Jesus an- 
swered them, " Yea ; have ye never read, out of 
the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected 
praise ? I tell you, that if these should hold their 
peace, the stones would immediately cry out. 5 * 
There still exists the same opposition betwixt those, 
who cordially embrace the Gospel, and those, who 
ungratefully reject it. As often as the former are 
perceived to give a loose to the transports of their 
gratitude, rejoicing in hope of the glory of God, the 
worldly minister, displeased to observe any thing 
that appears to reproach his own lukewarmness, is 
prepared to counteract the motions of that joyful 
hope, which he deems no better than the confidence 
of presumptuous fanatics. But the minister, who 
imitates St. Paul, on observing such a scene, will 
cry out with that great Apostle ; " Now the God of 
hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, 
that ye may abound in hofie through the power of 
the Holy Ghost." 

If penitents are not pointed to the blessedness of 
this hope, they will strive like Cain, to stifle their 
remorse, by passionately abandoning themselves to 
She business and enjoyments of the present world : 
or, like the Israelites, who found not sufficient plea- 
sure in religion to banish the recollection of Egypt's 
vanities, they will indulge that spint of trifling which 
the Aposfle thus* describes. ... u The people sat down 
to eat and to drink, and rose up to play," On tl>e 
contrary, when tkz christian is directed to the hope 
of his high culling, he finds it a source of unuttera- 
ble consolation : and having discovered the treasure 
hidden ib the Gospel field, " for joy thereof he sel- 
kill fci* »!!>" in order to purchase that field. He 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 2TL 

now renounces, without pain, what before had hin- 
dered him in running the heavenly race, counting 
nothing dear to himself, that he may finish his course 
with joy, and insure the crown of everlasting life. 
So powerfully were the first christians supported by 
this Gospel hope, that they remained immoveable 
amidst the sorest calamities of life, and suffered 
death itself with a courage thed astonished their per- 
secutors. But when they lost their confidence, like 
Demas, they began to indulge the fond hopes and 
foolish fears of the present world, becoming altoge- 
ther weak as other men : and such are the genera- 
lity of christians at this day. The love of many is 
waxing cold, while the church of God is evidently 
falling into ruins ; and hew shall we assist to rekin- 
dle that love., repair that church, but by zealously 
proclaiming abroad the *' hope of the Gospel." 



THE TRUE MINISTER PREACHES CHRISTIAN CHA- 
RITY. 

IF the evangelical pastor proclaims repent- 
ance, faith, and hope, it is with a view of leading 
sinners to that christian charity, which is justly es- 
teemed the crown of every grace. In preaching re- 
pentance, he lays the axe to the root of every cor- 
rupt tree. In preaching faith, he plants the tree of 
life. When he preaches hope, he causes that tree 
to put forth a beautiful blossom : but when he 
preaches charity, he calls forth tire rich fruit from 
every vigorous branch. And while he is engaged 
in performing the various parts of this important 
work, he denounces the anathemas of the Gospel 
against that repentance, faith, and hope, which are 
superficial, unfruitful, and delusive. 



273 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

The minister of the day piques himself upon 
preaching morality, which he is ordinarily accus- 
tomed to do, in the manner of an Heathen philos- 
pher. Unacquainted with the importance and power 
of the doctrines of Christianity, he is ashamed to 
walk in the traces of St. Paul. If he is enabled to 
paint with any degree of ability, the serpents of en- 
vy, the inquietudes of avarice, and the delights of 
charity, he imagines that he shall readily dispose 
his neighbours to love as brethren. He knows 
not, that " the law of the spirit of life in Christ Je- 
sus" is that alone, which can make any man " free 
from the law of sin and death," by delivering him 
from that envy, that avarice, that ambition, that in- 
difference, and thos^ worldly fears, which are in- 
compatible with evangelical charity. " What the 
law could not do, in that it was weak through the 
flesh, [i. e.] our degenerate nature," which has need 
of stronger motives and more powerful supports than 
those which the law proposes, " God sending his 
own Son in the likeness of sinfu} flesh, and for sin, 
condemned sin in the flesh s that" by the new mo- 
tives and the divine assistance offered in the Gospel, 
" the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in 
us, who," being regenerate, " walk not after the 
flesh, but after the spirit." 

The judicious pastor, observing the same con- 
nection between the morals and doctrines of Chris- 
tianity, as between the root and fruit of a vigorous 
tree, is constrained incessantly to preach those im- 
portant truths, which naturally give rise to the three 
above-mentioned graces ; and he is perfectly assur- 
ed, that wherever these truths are permitted to take 
root, he shall shortly rejoice ovei\the inestimable 
fruits of christian charity. This mode of acting is 
equally conformable to reason and revelation. By 
publishing those doctrines, upon which the neces- 
sity of repentance is founded) he exterminates pride 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 273 

and inordinate self-love, which are the greatest obsta- 
cles to charity. By preaching the doctrines of faith, 
he gives rise to that universal love^ which extends 
to God and man. Thus when a sinner sincerely be- 
lieves, that God is love : when penetrated with ad* 
miration and gratitude, he can say with the Apostle, 
4i I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me 
and gave himself for me :" at that moment,he ne- 
cessarily feels a degree of affection towards the creat- 
ing Father, and the redeeming Son, whom he longs 
to imitate, and whom he rejoices to obey. This love 
is as boundless as it is ardent, and reaches to the 
most unworthy of his fellow^ creatures, enabling him, 
according to the example of Christ, to sacrifice for 
his very enemies, not only outward comforts, but 
even life itself. Hence the christian faith is said to 
work by love. Now if this lively persuasion of the 
unspeakable blessings, which God hath already gi- 
ven us in Christ Jesus, is sufficient to produce a 
good degree of charity ; it is evident, that a well- 
grounded hope of greater blessings still to come, 
must serve to strengthen and increase this charity. 
And if we are fully persuaded, that our labours of 
love shall never be forgotten ; that even a cup of 
cold water, imparted for the love of Christ, shall not 
go unrewarded ; what influence may not such an 
hope be expected to have, in opening the heart to 
universal benevolence, and in producing all the fruits 
of evangelical charity ? 

Convinced, that to plead for charity, without in- 
sisting upon the doctrines, by which it must by sup- 
ported, would be building a house without laying a 
solid foundation, the true minister industriously la- 
bours to explain the nature, to exhibit the motives, 
and represent the effects of this wondrous grace, in 
the clearest manner. To some, indeed, such dis- 
courses are vain ; but others among his hearers are 
found, who, ravished with the loveliness of this vir- 
ture, and constrained by those motives which the 



274 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

Gospel proposes, betake themselves to the exercise, 
of it, with as much ardour, as the voluptuous run to 
their sensual entertainments. 

Darkness differs not more from light, than the 
charity of the faithful ministers differs from that of 
a scribe ill-instructed in the mysteries of the king- 
dom. The love of the good pastor " rejoiceth not 
in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth," which fre- 
quently comes to humble human pride. On the 
contrary, the charity which every false Apostle 
preaches, is no more than the phantom of a vir- 
tue, consoling the heart in the midst of sin, rejoic- 
ing in a lie, and resting upon assurances altoge- 
ther contrary to the word of God. To be charita- 
ble, according to the Rotions of these men, is to in- 
dulge a persuasion, that there is much to be abated 
of the threatenings contained in the Gospel, and that 
St. Paul is far beside the truth, when he declares, 
that " no unclean or covetous person hath any in- 
heritance in the kingdom of Christ. " It is to be- 
lieve, that the Holy Spirit was too severe, when it 
dictated to St. James, that " he who is a friend of the 
world, is the enemy of God," and violates his baptis- 
mal vow in as full a sense, as adulterers violate the 
sacred vow of conjugal fidelity. It is to insinuate, 
that Christ himself overpassed the bounds of reason, 
when he publicly cried out, " Whosoever shall say 
to his brother, thou fool, shall be in danger of Hell- 
fire. Judge not," saith the Redeemer, u that ye be 
not judged." But, according to the sentiments of 
these erring guides, to be divinely charitable, is to 
conclude from this precept, that a man may even 
revoke the judgments of Christ himself: thus, un- 
der pretext of not judging those, who are evidently 
walking in the road to perdition, they indirectly give 
judgment against the Redeemer, as bearing a false 
testimony. In errors like these it is, that the world 
will needs have the greatest part of charity to con- 
sist. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 273 

The true minister attacks this false grace, as an 
enemy to the truths of the Gospel, while he pleads 
for that Christ-like charity, which may properly be 
called the sister of truth. He asserts the dignity 
and power of truth ; holding it up to the veneration 
and love of those, who would not wilfully offend the 
God of truth. Let us, continues he, " speaking the 
truth in love, grow up into him in all things, which 
is the head, even Christ :" and having first " puri- 
fied our souls in obeying the truth, let us love one 
another with a pure heart fervently." Between 
these scriptural companions he will suffer no sepa- 
ration to take place ; and when they are treated by 
the injudicious, as enthusiastic and heretical, he 
will dare to stand forth in defence of these two con- 
federate virtues. 

Another opinion, that generally prevails among 
the professors of Christianity, is, that charity con* 
sists in giving alms to the poor : and this opinion is 
earnestly contended for by many, although the pha- 
risees, who were regarded by our Lord, as serpents 
and vipers, through their want of unfeigned charity, 
were yet remarkable for their generosity in alms- 
giving. St. Paul manifestly opposes this erroneous 
notion, where he declares, that it is possible for a 
man to u give all his goods to feed the poor, and yet 
be destitute of charity. The faithful pastor, it is 
true, maintains, that every charitable person is con- 
strained to assist the poor, according to his ability : 
but he adds, that alms giving is as uncertain a mark 
of charily, as a constant attendance upon the sacra- 
mental table, is an equivocal evidence of faith : since 
it is as possible to relieve the poor through weakness 
or vanity, as to receive the holy communion through 
timidity or custom. 

If the charity of worldly men is ever found to 
exceed this discription, yet it will always be limited 
to the necessities of the body. As ihey know not, 
how fur the immortal spirit is superior lo the perish- 



%76 TUE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL* 

ing body, which must soon be blended with the 
dust of a thousand carcases, it is no wonder, that 
their chief concern is engrossed by the latter. The 
welfare of their own souls is attended to with a very 
small degree of solicitude ; and while this is the 
case, it cannot be imagined, that they should mani- 
fest any extraordinary degree of affection towards 
the souls of their neighbours. They behold without 
sorrow those deluded partizans, who make war upon 
each other for the sake of their particular errors s 
they can even gaze, without pity on those obdurate 
souls, who are desperately plunging from one abyss 
of sin to another. How different were the feelings 
of David, when, like a true penitent, he not only 
wept for his own offences, but shed torrents of tears 
for those, who transgressed the law of God. And 
how contrary was the character of St. Paul, who went 
through a kind of spiritual travail, till the degenerate 
were born again. In like manner the primitive 
christians exposed themselves to imminent dangers, 
that they might give proofs of the most exalted cha- 
rity, by snatching souls from sin and death. And 
when they were not able to effect this by their exter- 
nal labours, they then wrestled in their closets, 
with sacred prayers and tears, for the conversion of 
the ungodly. Where there is no desire after the 
salvation of others, there true charity is unknown : 
for while a man disregards the soul of his. neigh- 
bour, all the interest he takes in his temporal affairs, 
can manifest no more than the charity, of a disciple 
of Epicurus, which is as far below the charity of 
Christ's disciples, as materialism is inferior to Chris- 
tianity. 

In opposition to all the false ideas, which have been, 
received upon this subject, the minister of the new 
Testament teaches, that charity is the image of God : 
and that " eternal and infinite charity," is nothing less 
than God himself. One Apostle declares that God is 
love ; and another assures us, 'that we are called to be 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 277 

made " partakers of the divine nature :" whence the 
sacred preacher infers, that the new creature, of which 
St. Paul makes mention, must necessarily consist in 
charity. When a christian is filled with charity, he 
is then regenerate and horn of God. Christ is then 
formed in his heart, the Holy Spirit rests upon him, 
and he is " filled with all the fulness of God." He keeps 
the first commandment of the law, by making a full 
surrender of his heart to God, from a consciousness 
that he is in himself the sovereign good : but he chiefly 
loves him in the person of Christ, through whom the 
Father is pleased peculiarly to shine forth, as a God 
of love. In a secondary sense, he loves the Works of 
God in all their wonderful variety, as they shadow forth 
his matchless perfections,, and place them within the 
reach of man's understanding. And his esteem for 
his admirable productions, is in proportion to the nearer 
or more distant relation, in which they stand to that 
eternal wisdom, which formed them all. Guided by 
this principle, he loves all mankind with an extraordi- 
nary degree of affection. The soul of man is peculi- 
arly dear to him, because created in the image cf God, 
and redeemed with the blood of his beloved Son : 
while as the organized vehicle of the soul, he ad- 
mires and loves the perishable body. As the soul* 
of the poor and the rich are equally immortal, he is 
never meanly prejudiced in favour of the latter ; but, 
on the contrary, is ever ready to prefer a poor and pi- 
ous beggar, before a sensual and supercilious noble. 
Thus the true christian cherishes the faithful, not 
only for the love of the Creator, and Redeemer, but, 
also for love of the sanctifying Spirit, unto whom 
their souls are consecrated as living altars, and their 
bodies as hallowed temples. From this divine cha- 
rity, good works of every kind proceed, as from an 
inexhaustible fountain : a fountain which is making, 
as it were, continual efforts to enrich the barren 
soil around it. But where this is wanting, all exter- 
nal appearances are without any real value : the kt- 

a a 



278 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAULt 

vish giver loses his worth before pious men, and the 
zealous martyr his reward before a righteous God. 

Uniting in his own heart the love of God, with 
the love of his neighbour, the true minister anxious- 
ly endeavours to demonstrate the folly of those, who 
seek to separate these important duties. He main- 
tains, that charity without piety, is but a mere natu- 
ral virtue, which discovers itself as frequently in the 
brute creation, as among unregenerate men. The 
swallow and the bat are careful of their young.. .• 
The beaver and the ant are observed to labour for 
the respective societies of which they are individu- 
als, and the she-bear is ready to meet death in de- 
fence of her cubs. On this account, the good pas- 
tor furnishes his flock with those exalted motives to 
christian love, which, by giving a divine principle to- 
natural charity, ennobles it in man, and renders it 
divine* 

As charity, without piety, is no more than a na- 
tural virtue, and may be the effect of pharisaical or 
diabolical pride, so devotion, without brotherly love, 
is to be considered as a species of hypocrisy, as our 
Lord himself teaches in the following passage. " If 
thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there remember- 
est that thy brother hath ought against thee ; leave 
there thy gift, before the altar, and go thy way ; 
first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come 
and offer thy gift,'' which would otherwise be re- 
jected, as an abomination by the God of love. True 
charity embraces all men, because being made of 
one blood, they compose but one vast family, of 
which God himself is the great parent* And here 
our Lord permits us not to except even our most cruel 
enemy. u Ye have heard/' saith he, u that it hath 
been said, thou shalt love thy neighbour and hate 
thine enemy : but J say unto you, love your ene- 
mies, bless them, that curse you, do good to them 
»Hat hale you, and," manifesting a concern for their 
s,ouls, as weil as an attention to their persons, u pray 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 279 

for them that despitefully use you, and persecute 
you ; that ye may be the children of your Father, 
which is in Heaven ; for he maketh his sun to me 
on the evil and on the good." 

Charity consists of two parts, patience and bene- 
volence. By the one, we suffer every kind of indig- 
nity, without entertaining a thought of revenge ; and 
by the other, we heap upon our enemies unsolicited 
favours. Our adorable Master, whose conduct has 
furnished us with examples of the most perfect cha- 
rity, discovers to us the extent of this virtue, in the 
following passages. The world hath " hated both 
me and my Father ;" nevertheless, " God so loved 
the world, that he gave his only- begotten Son, that 
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but 
have everlasting life. It hath been said an eye for an 
eye, and a tooth for a tooth ;" and the time is com- 
ing, when it shall be said, a thurst with a sword for 
an abusive word ; a pistol shot for a satyrieal ex- 
pression ; " but I say unto you, resist not," accoid- 
ing to the maxims of those, by whom you are evil- 
entreated ; " but whosoever shall smite thee on thy 
right cheek, turn to him the other also :" i. e. suf- 
fer two insults rather than revenge one. Follow the 
same rule likewise with respect tG their world- 
ly substance, u and if any man will sue thee at the 
law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy ciouk 
also:" i. e. far from exacting with rigour, Le 
ready to remit much of thy right, for the mainte- 
nance of peace ; since it is belter to suffer a double 
injustice, than to lack condescension and~charity* 
And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go 
with him twain 2" i. e. merely yielding to o.hers in 
things, that are good, or indifferent, is not enough ; 
thy charity should rather prevent and surprize them 
with unexpected acts of civility and kindness. 
From these expressions it appears, that our Lord 
would have his disciples to possess a charity not on- 
ly extraordinary in some degree, but altogether di- 



280 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

vine. In point of quality, he requires, that it should 
be equal to the inexpressible love of the Father; as 
a drop taken from the ocean is of the same nature 
wfth those mighty waves, that roll over the unfa- 
thomable deep. " If ye love them/' saith he, " that 
love you, what reward have you ? do not even the 
publicans so ? Be ye, therefore, perfect" in charity, 
" even as your Father, which is in Heaven is perfect."" 

Faith, unspeakably excellent as it is, would be 
void of any real worth, unless it produced this happy 
disposition. u In Christ," saith the Apostle, u the 
whole body" of the faithful, " fitly joined together, 
and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, 
according to the effectual working in the measure 
of every part, maketh increase of the body, unto the 
edifying of itself in Love. In Jesus Christ neither 
circumcision evaileth any thing, nor uncircumci- 
sion ; but faith, which wovketh by love: and though 
I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, 
and have not charity*, I am nothing. " This celes- 
tial grace runs through the whole circle of christian 
virtues. Thus when St. Paul enumerates the fruits 
or effects of the Spirit, he points to charily as the 
foremost of the train : and when St. Peter recounts 
the virtues which a christian should add to his faith, 
he concludes with the finishing graces of "brotherly 
kindness and charity." Both these ideas are after- 
wards united by the great Apostle, where he exhorts 
the Colossi ans " to put on charity" as " that bond 
of perfectness," without which the christian cha- 
racter would be incomplete, and which may be said 
to include all the graces of the Spirit, as a thousand 
ears of corn are united in the same sheaf by one 
common band. 

It was with these sublime views of charity, that 
St. Paul thus addressed his converts. " by love 
serve one another ; for all the law is fulfilled in one 
word, even in this ; Thou shalt love thy neighbour 
asHhyself. Owe no man any thing, but to ove one 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 281 

another, for he that loveth another," in obedience to 
Christ's command, " hath fulfilled the law. Charity 
never faileth ;'' inasmuch as it is the source of hea- 
venly joy. " Now, in the church militant, "abideth 
faith; hope and charity ; but the greatest of these is 
charity] 1 which shall eternally animate the church 
triumphant. 

Even here on earth, it is counted as the beginning 
of eternal life, to know, by faith, that God is love, 
and that he seeks to gain our affections by blessings 
without number. A discovery of this kind cannot 
but give rise to some grateful return in the soul ; 
since it is impossible firmly to believe these ravish- 
ing truths, without crying out, like the first chris- 
tians, " We love him, because he first loved us." 
If God has mercifully made the first advances to- 
ward his rebellious creatures ; if, notwithstanding 
the distance between him and us be infinite, and the 
obstacles to our union innumerable, he yet gracious- 
ly presents himself in spite of ail ; it he yet inclines 
to pardon the guilty, and endeavours to reconcile 
the world unto himself by Jesus Christ ; what con- 
scious heart can be unaffected with these tokens of 
Ins lo\e, or what tongue be silent in his praise ? 

This God of charity thus affectionately addresses 
an ancient class of his servants ; " I have loved thee 
tilth an everlastiog love; therefore, with loving kind- 
ness have I drawn thee." The favour which he here 
expresses toward the Jewish church, is great ; but 
thai, which he testifies to the christian church, is stiil 
more astonishing. His Son, the living and eternal 
image of his Father, humbles himself to the dust, 
and invests himself with our nature, that raising us 
from our low estate, he may, at length, place us at 
the right hand of the Majesty on high. " Me loved 
the church," saith St. Paul, " and gave himself for 
it, that he might sanctify u.nd cieanse it, and that he 
mig.it present it to himself, a glorious church, not 
having spot or wrinkle or any such thing." Thus 



%&~ THE rORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

he has given to believers an example of the love* 
which they ought to entertain for all their christian 
brethren, and to husbands a pattern of the attach- 
ment they should feel to their wives ; since he left 
the bosom of his Father, for the very purpose of 
suffering with, and for his church, which in the lan- 
guage of scripture is called his spouse. But. 
adds the Apostle, "this is a great mystery. " Now 
the true minister is happily initiated into this grand 
mystery of charity. He can say, with Peter, a Lord ! 
thou knowest all things, thou knowest that 1 love 
thee:" he can testify, with Paul, "the love of Christ 
constramethme : and, at other times, when the emo- 
tions of his heart are too tender for utterance, tears of 
gratitude and joy, silently cry out. like those of dissolv- 
ing Mary, Lord thou art worthy of all my love, since 
thou hast graciously pardoned all my sin. Animated 
with this love, he publicly insists upon universal chari- 
ty, with all the ardour of St. John, testifying that it 
flows from the knowledge of God, and must be consi- 
dered as the root of christian obedience. " Hereby," 
saith he, u perceive we the love of God, because he 
laid clown his life for us : and w r e ought to lay down 
mxv lives for the brethren. My little children, let 
us not love in word, neither in tongue ; but," ac- 
cording to the example of Christ, u in ()tQCi and in 
truth:" for, u if God so loved us, we ought also to 
love one another." And remember, * v he that loveth 
not, knoweth not God, for God is love." 

Although Christ evidently came to break down 
the w&\\ of separation between the Jews and Gen- 
tiles, by preaching the doctrine of universal charity ; 
yet he willed, that believers should love one another 
wkfa a peculiar degree of affection. We are required 
to meet the unregenerate with a love of benevo- 
lence : but believers should be bound to each other 
by ties so tender and powerful, that the world may 
acknowledge them to be men of one heart and one 
£0u! " By this," saith our Lord, " fchall all men 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 283 

know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to 
another." And who can describe the generosity, 
the sweetness, the strength, and the constancy, of 
this enlivening grace ? It is more active than the 
penetrating flame ; it is stronger than death. " The 
communion of saints," is received among christians 
as a sentence in their established creed : happy 
would it be, did it constitute a part of their religious 
experience i As to the difference betwixt christian 
charity, and that which was required under the law, 
it seems to be satisfactorily pointed out by St, 
John, in the following passage : u Brethren 1 write 
no new commandment unto you, but an old com- 
mandment, which ye had from the beginning :" for 
Moses himself earnestly exhorted his people to 
maintain among themselves the fire of fraternal love* 
" Again, a new covenant I write unto you ;" new, 
in relation to Christ, who hath loved us not only 
as himself, "but even more than himself ; since he 
offered up his life a ranscme for the rebellious* 
Moses tasted not of death for Pharoah, as Je.^us did 
for Pilate, Herod, and Caiaphas. The christian le- 
gislator alone requires a charity of this perfectly dis- 
interested nature ; and for the support of so exalted 
a precept, he has seconded it with his own great ex- 
ample. "Herein is love," continues the Apostle* 
not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent 
his Son to be the propitiation for our sins* Love/ 3 
then, is undoubtedly of Goo/ 5 flowing from him, 
?:S iicm an inexhaustable spring ; u and he that 
loveth, after the same pure and fervent manner, u is 
born of God, and knoweth God." 

This charity is set forth by St. Paul, as a source 
of cor.sob.non. " if," saith he to the Philippians, 
" there be any comfort in love, be }e like- minced, 
having the same love" one to another : and, "JeltLis 
mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jetus." 
And in another epistle, he cries out; fc< I have a 
great confii-ct for them at Laediceas. that their hearts 
might be comforted, being knit together in love*" 



284 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

1. Charity may be considered as a spring of 
comfort, because it frees us from the fear of death, 
and delivers us from a thousand other terrors, which 
trouble the peace of worldly men. " There is no 
fear in love ; but perfect love, hoping all things, cast- 
eth out fear: because fear hath torment, tie there- 
fore, that feareth, is not made perfect in lovt." 

2. Charity is consoling, because it assists and 
encourages us in the discharge of our several duties. 
When we glow with affection to God and our neigh- 
bour, works of piety and charity are performed, not 
only without pain, but with heart-felt sensations of 
secret delight, " This is the love of God that we 
keep his commandments: and to those who sin- 
cerely love him, his commandments are not griev- 
ous." Thus a tender mother, loses her repose, 
without repining, that she may attend to the wants 
of her restless infant : thus an affectionate father 
labours with pleasure, for the support and education 
of his children ; and thus, with every testimony of 
joy, the primitive christians relieved and supported 
one another. The admirable effects produced by 
this unfeigned love, are described by St. Luke in the 
following terms: " The multitude of them that be- 
lieved, were of one heart and one soul ; neither said 
any of them, that aught of the things which he pos- 
sessed, was his own : but losing sight of every self- 
interested view, they had all things common. 

Here we behold that, eminently accomplished by 
Christ, which was anciently prefigured under Moses 
in the desert, when the manna was so equally distri- 
buted among the people that 4t he who gathered 
much, had nothing over, and he who gathered little* 
had no lack." Happy were these fleeting days of 
christian fellowship! Days that had long been pro- 
mised by God, and of which a foretaste had been 
given in the land of Canaan, when it was ordained 
that during the year of Jubilee, the poor should be 
permitted to share the comforts of their richer neigh* 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 285 

hours. It must be allowed that a multitude of in- 
sincere professors overspreading the church in 
these melancholy times, will not permit this method 
to be generally adopted anion p- us which would, ne- 
vertheless, be entirely practicable in a country in- 
habited by the affectionate followers of Jesus. But, 
at the same time, it is no less true, that every in- 
dividual, who is possessed of real charity, is still 
treading in the steps of his elder brethren, and 
waiting only the return of favourable times to prove, 
that " Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, to-day, 
and for ever ;" and that unfeigned charity, in the 
same circumstances, will ever produce the same 
effects. 

It is impossible too highly to exalt this charity, 
which springs from a grateful sense of the redemp- 
tion that is in Jesus. He, who is unacquainted with 
this grace, is a stranger to every real virtue, and ut- 
terly destitute of that " holiness without which no 
man shall seethe Lord.* 1 Hence we find the Apostle 
Paul so frequently connecting " holiness 5 ' with 
'Move ;" or rather pressing the latter, as- that in which 
the former may be said principally to consist. God, 
saifft he, " halh chosen us in Christ, that we shculd 
be holy and without blame before him in love. ~ Let 
Christ dwell in your hearts by faith ; that ye being 
rooted and grounded in love, may be able to compre- 
hend with all saints, what is the breadth** ere length, 
and depth, and height ; and to know the love of Christ 
which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled 
with all the fulness of God. The Lord mike you to 
increase and abound in love one toward another, and 
toward all men : to the end that he may establish 
your hearts unblameable in holiness before God." 

Knowledge alone "pufTeth up," but charity, added 
to knowledge, edifieth and conducts the soul, from 
grace to grace, " unto the measure of the stature of 
the fulness of Christ." Happy they, v ho have at- 
tained Lo this h igh degree of spirituality, from which, 



285 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

with a look of pure beneficience ; they can smile on 
ail around them ! Such may join the first professors of 
Christianity, and say ; " We have known and believed 
the love, that God hath to us :" and, penetrated with 
a deep sense of his affection, we declare from happy 
experience, that " God is love ; and he that dwelleth 
in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him*" The 
love of these persevering disciples may, in a scrip- 
tural sense, be termed perfect ; since it enables them 
to bear a just, though faint resemblance to the God 
of love. Their hearts are as replete with charity, 
as sparks are filled with fire : and doubtless the smal- 
lest spark may be said to shine, with a degree of per- 
fection, in its little sphere, as well as the brighter 
sun in his more boundless course. 

St, Paul, who preached this charity with so much 
fervency, declares, that it was kindled, in his heart 
by the love of Christ ; and upon this account he 
labours to found it upon those doctrines, which 
are universally despised by every class of deists. 
In his epistle to the Romans, which contains six- 
teen chapters, he employs eleven in laying this so- 
lid foundation, while the duties of charity are de- 
clared only in the five remaining chapters. Like a 
wise master-builder, hefore he attempts to raise this 
sacred edifice, he endeavours to remove out of the 
way the ruins of corrupted nature, and the rubbish of 
self-love. But had he endeavoured to do this, with- 
out calling in to his aid the doctrines of the Gospel, 
he would have acted as ridiculously as Archimedes, 
had that philosopher attempted the removal of earth, 
without having first secured a solid footing suited to 
his purpose. 

The most powerful motives employed by this 
Apostle, in urging us to the practice of christian 
charity, are the love of God, and the compassion of 
Christ. God, saith he, " commendeth his love 
toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ 
died for us ; and, ye know the grace of our Lord Je- 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAtJL. 287 

sus Christ, that though he was rich, jretjfor your sakes 
he became poor, that ye, through his poverty, might 
be rich." Now, whoever is sensible of the power, and 
tastes the sweetness, of these two grand truths, feels 
himself, at the same time, carried to every good 
work, in the same manner as the miser is led to 
those actions, which serve to increase his hoard. 
For, " being saved by grace, through faith," in these 
very truths, " we are created by Christ Jesus unto 
good works. Who gave himself for us," on this 
sole account, " that he might redeem us from all 
iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, 
zealous of good works." 

The consolatory doctrine of a gratuitous pardon 
offered to sinners, a token of God's unfathomable 
love, is another motive frequently made use of to the 
like purpose. " Put on, 5 ' continues the same Apos- 
tle, u as the elect of God, bowels of mercies, kind- 
ness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffer- 
ing ; forbearing one another, and forgiving one an- 
other, if any man have a quarrel against any ; even 
as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. Above all 
things have fervent charity among yourselves : for 
charity shall cover the multitude of sins." Yes, it 
not only covers the sins of others, by considering 
their doubtful actions in the most fovourable point 
of view, and by overlooking the most unpardonable 
of their failings ; but may in some measure, be said 
to cover their own offences, since God, for Christ's 
sake, has promised to overlook our transgressions 
as we give proof of a forgiving temper toward our 
brethren. Discoid entered into the world by sin. 
Hence we see unregenerate men not only separated 
from God, but divided among themselves : and 
nence, by the rebellion of his growing passions 
against his enfeebled reason, every unrighteous man 
is at war with himself. 

Dreadful as these evils are, we are here present- 
ed with a perfect remedy for them all. He, who 



28S THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 

created man upright, hath sent his Son to re-esta- 
blish harmony in the world, to reduce our passions 
under the government of love, to subject our reason 
to the authority of truth, and to subdue the whole 
man under the sweet yoke of charity manifested in 
the flesh ; " that charity," which is destined to reign 
for ever, and whose happy empire is called the 
Kingdom of Heaven. " The Father of glory, " says 
St. Paul, " hath put all things under the feet of 
Christ, and hath given him to be the head overall 
things to the church, which is his body 5 the fulness 
of him, that filleth all in all. Ye, who sometimes 
were far off, are now made nigh by the blood of 
Christ* For he is our peace, " between Jews and 
Gentiles, between man and man, " who hath made 
both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of 
partition between us, that he might reconcile both 
unto God in one body, by the cross, having slain the 
enmity" by that perfect charity, of which he gave so 
many wonderful proofs. "Now, therefore/' we wko 
are actuated by the same spirit of love, " are no more 
strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the 
saints and of the household of God ; and are built 
upon the same foundation of the Apostles and Pro- 
phets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner- 
stone. In whom the whole building, fitly framed 
together, groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord 2 
In whom also ye are builded together for an habi- 
tation of God, through the spirit of charity." 

The minister, who. feels the force of this over- 
coming motive, cannot fail to place it continually be- 
fore his hearers. The various parts of his public 
discourses as naturally incline to this grand point, 
as the several parts of a solid edifice mutually rest 
upon the common foundation. " There is one body," 
saith he with the Apostle, " and one spirit, even as 
ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, 
one God and Father of' all, who is above all, and 
through all, and in you all. As we have many mem- 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUT.. 2$t 

hers in one body ; so we, being many, are one body 
in Christ, and every one members one of another. 
Let love be, therefore, without dissimulation: be 
kindly-affectioned one to another with brotherly love ; 
in honour preferring one another. Rejoice with 
them that do rejoice ; and weep with them that 
weep. Be of the same mind one toward another. 
Avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto 
wrath. If thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he 
thirst, give him drink. Be not overcome of evil ; but 
overcome evil with good." In a word, " Let all 
your things be done with charity," 

To conclude. The evangelical pastor points out 
the excellence of charity, and urges every motive 
that can lead to the practice of it, till worldly men 
are constrained to cry out, with all the admiration of 
the ancient heathens ; " See how these christians 
Move one another!*' Lucian, indeed, could look 
with ridicule upon the zeal, with which the primitive 
christians succoured one another : u For,'' says he, 
ik their legislator has made them believe, that they 
" are all brethren ; and hence they have all things 
" common among them, despising eten death itself, 
" through the hope of immortality." The good pas- 
tor, however, is anxious to do that, which this hea- 
then writer was impious enough to censure in Christ. 
He admonishes believers to addrsss the Almighty, 
as their common parent, conscious, that so soon as 
they receive power to cry Abba, i. e. Father, by the 
Holy Spirit, they will necessarily forget every scru- 
pulous distinction between mine and thine, and put 
up, with unfeigned sincerity that universal prayer, 
" Give utt this day our daily bread." This petition is 
commonly used by every member of our degenerate 
church, while their hearts are comparatively insen- 
sible to the wants of their necessitous brethren. But 
was the love of ancient days to revive among us, we 
should not only solicit common blessings from above* 
but rejoice to share them with each other, as bre- 

& b ' 



290 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

thren partake of a repast provided for them at the. 
table of their common Parent. 

Happy days i when the Gospel of Christ was 
seen to flourish in the earth. Surely that sacred sea- 
son might, with propriety, be termed the golden 
age of the church. O that we could recall the feli- 
city we have forfeited, and see the joys of unani- 
mity restored to a distracted world 1 But, while we 
give vent to our lamentations, let us not sink into des- 
pair, sinc€ however deplorable our present circum- 
stances may be, they are not totally remediless. 
Though, f©r so many ages, self-love has usurped 
the throne of charity : though mankind are prone to 
injure one another, in their reputation, by slander ; 
in their property by injustice ; and in their persons 
by murder, whether perpetrated in the character of 
an assassin, or that of a duellist ; though wars are 
fomented on the slightest pretences, and christian 
princes appear eager to wash their hands in the blood 
of thousands ; though " all the earth is full of dark- 
less and cruel habitations :" yet will we not give up 
our hope. These unhappy times were foretold by 
our gracious Master. And as he had prescience 
enough to predict the decays of christian love, and 
the calamities consequent thereupon ; so he is pos- 
sessed of sufficient power to re-establish the empire 
of charity in the world. Believers, then, amidst all 
their afflictions, may patiently and confidently ex- 
pect those u times of refreshing, which shall assured- 
ly come from the presence of the Lord:" looking 
forward to that promised " restitution of all things," 
concerning u which, God hath spoken by the mouth 
of all his holy Prophets since the world began." In 
the. mean while, let those who are hastening, by 
their prayers, this desirable revolution, be careful to 
preserve in their own hearts those sparks of charity, 
which shall one day kindle the universe into a sa- 
cred flame. And let the ministers of the Gospel 
make a constant display of those evangelical truths, 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 291 

-which were formerly sufficient to light up this glo- 
rious] fire ; that by stirring up the dying embers 
of grace, the little light, which still remains in the 
church, may be preserved from total extinction. 

Should it be here objected... .Are not all the mi- 
nisters of our church to be considered, as preachers 
u of christian charity?" We answer, by no means. 
The charity, concerning which we speak, must flow 
from 'a union, with Christ; a union, which minis- 
ters of the present day, are accustomed to treat as 
enthusiastic and vain. This excellent grace " is 
shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which 
is given unto us. But he, who dares openly to plead 
for this scriptural truth, is esteemed by such preach- 
ers, no better than a deluded fanatic. These preachers 
are frequently heard, indeed, to speak of christian 
charity, but far from endeavouring to spread it through 
the world, they use every effort to destroy the very 
seeds of this grace in the church of God. If, in a 
parish that is unhappy enough to have a pastor of 
this kind, a few persons are happily converted to 
God, and united together in Jesus Christ ; if, having 
one heart, and one soul, they frequently join togeth- 
er in prayer and in praise, mutually exhorting and 
provoking one another to love and good works;.... 
the worldly minister, instantly alarmed, imagines 
that these persons, for the sake of forming a new 
s#ct, are destroying the unity of the church : when, 
on the contrary, they are but just about to experience 
"the communion of saints. 55 And, if he is possessed 
of zeal, or party-spirit, he will labour to make it ap- 
pear, that these christians, who are beginning to live 
as brethren, are forming conventicles to disturb the 
order both of church and state. Such a minis'er will 
give encouragement to companies of jugglers, dan- 
cers, and drunkards, rather than tolerate a society, 
which has christian charity for its object and its ba- 
sis. 



2^2 THE PORTRAIT OE ST. PAUL. 



THE TRUE MINISTER BELIKVES AND PREACHES 
lli'k THREE GRAND PROMISES OF GOD, TO- 
GETHER WITH THE UH1EE GREAT DISPENSA- 
TIONS OF GiiACE. 

WE have seen, in the preceding chapters, 
that believers are saved by a faith and a hope, which 
serve U> feed in their souls the sacred fire of chari- 
ty. Now, this faith, and this hope, must necessarily 
have for their foundation some promise of God. A 
promise already accomplished is embraced by faiai 
alone ; but a promise, whose accomplishment is pro- 
tracted, is equally the object of faith and of hope. 
He, therefore, who is appointed by Christ a preacher 
of the everlasting Gospel, is solicitous to obtain 
clear ideas of the great promises of God. He is 
constantly engaged in meditating, either upon their 
past or future accomplishment, in order to maintain 
in his own heart those inestimable graces, with which 
he is desirous to animate the souls of others. Ob- 
serve the method, in which he considers, embraces* 
and preaches them. 

U rider the dispensation of the Father, the grand 
promise was that. Which respected the external ma- 
mfestidion of the Son. The original promise, as 
made to Adam, was expressed in the following terms : 
" The seed oi the woman sl^all bruise the head of the 
serpent." As the Messiah was to descend from A- 
braham, according to the flesh, the same promise was 
thus renewed to that Patriarch: " In thee shall all 
families of the earth be blessed." In the days of Mo- 
j- es, it was repeated to ail Israel, as follows : u The Lord 
thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet, from the 
midst of thee, of thy brethren ; unto him shall ye 
kearken." David and the other prophets powerfully 
confirmed this prophecy, and Malachi thus recapitu- 
lates the promises which had been given before his- 
time : " The Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 29® 

to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant 
whom ye delight in ; behold, he shall come, saith the 
Lord of Hosts. Unto yon, that fear my name, shall 
the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his 
wings ; and ye shall go forth," out of your present 
obscure dispensation, " and grow up," -in spiritual 
strength, u as calves of the stall." Thus speaks the 
last of the prophets, under the dispensation of the 
Father. 

Immediately upon the accomplishment of these 
promises, while the dispensation of the Son was but 
darkly opened by his precursor, another promise 
wa3 given for the exercise of faith and hope, under 
this new economy, respecting the full manifestation 
of the Holy Ghost, as a Spirit of truth and love. 
Behold this grand promise, as announced by John 
the baptist. " I am not the Christ ; I am the voice 
of one crying in the wilderness, make straight the 
way of the Lord. I baptize you with water unto re- 
pentance," as a preparation for the spiritual king- 
dom and baptism of the Messiah : kf but he that 
cometh after me, is mightier than I, whose shoes I 
am not worthy to bear." He shall introduce a more 
spiritual dispensation, and administer a more effica- 
cious baptism ; for " he shall baptise you with the 
Holy Ghost and with fire," shedding abroad those 
gins and graces of his Spirit, which shall penetrate 
and purify your hearts, as metals are penetrated and 
purified by material fire. This promise is of so great 
importance, that it was thought necessary to be re- 
peated by the four Evangelists. 

Our Lord, continuing the dispensation, which 
his forerunner had opened, M made and baptized. 
more disciples than John, though Jesus himself bap- 
tized not," with water, M but his disciples." The 
baptism, which he was about to administer, was as 
far superior to the baptism of John, and that of his 
own disciples, as the water, of which he spake to 
the woman of Samaria, was superior to the water tl 

b b 2 



294 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

Jordan, or that of Jacob's well. "Whosoever shall 
drink of the water that I shall give him," said he to 
that enquiring woman ; whosoever shall come to 
my baptism, and let down his vessel into the inex- 
haustible fountain of my grace, u shall never thirst : 
but the water that I shall give him, shall be in him 
a well of water," a source of righteousness, peace, 
and joy, " springing up into evei lasting life," 

In order to strengthen the hope of those, who 
had been baptized with water, our Lord publicly ra- 
tified the promise, which had been so frequently re- 
peated to them by John the Baptist. "In the last 
day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cri- 
ed ; If any man thirst, let him come unto me and 
drink. He that believeth on me, as the Scripture 
hath said, out of his belly shall Sow rivers of living 
water. But this he spoke of the Spirit, which they 
that believe on him," in every age, u should receive. 
For the Holy Ghost was not yet fully given because 
that Jesus was not yet glorified." An inestimable 
promise this, which deserves to be deeply engra- 
ven in the minds of those, who are merely acquaint- 
ed with Christ, according to his exterior appear- 
ance in the world. Observe here the method, by 
which he endeavours to prepare all such in every 
country, and in every period, for his manifestation in 
the Spirit ; u If you love me keep my command- 
ments," be faithful to the present dispensation of 
my Gospel, " and 1 will pray the Father, and he 
will give you another Comforter, that he may abide 
with you for ever. At that day," when ye shall ex- 
perience the fulness of his presence, " Ye shall 
know, that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I 
in you." For a he that loveth me, shall be loved of 
my Father, and I v. ill love him, and we will come 
unto him and make our abode wilh him." By com- 
paring these words with the seventeenth and tvven- 
ly-sixth verses of the same chapter, it is evident, 
that by this spiritual manifestation of the Father and 



THE PORTRAIT 0* ST. PAUL. 295 

the Son, nothing less can be intended than the full 
measure of that Holy Spirit, " which proceedeth 
from the Father, 1 ' and which is expressly called, a the 
Spirit of his Son." 

Our Lord, who knew the stupidity of those who 
were under the inferior dispensation of his Gospel, 
and how "slow of heart" they were " to believe," 
what either the Prophets or himself had spoken, 
judged it expedient to repeatthe grand promise of the 
Spirit again and again. " When the Comforter is 
come," said he, "whom I will send unto you from the 
■Father, he shall testify of me. It is expedient for you, 
that I go away : for if I go not away, the Comfort- 
er will not come unto you ; but if I depart I will send 
him unto you. .Behold I send the promise of my 
Father upon you." 

The abundant elusion of the Holy Spirit was 
termed by our Lord, the promise of the Father, for 
two reasons ; first, because coming to instruct man- 
kind how to worship the Father " in spirit and in 
truth," it became him to refer all things to that Fa- 
ther : and this he was strictly and constantly accus- 
tomed to do. Secondly, because " the Father of 
lights" is to be considered as the author of " every 
good and perfect gift." It was he, who so loved the 
world, that he gave his only begotten Son to die for 
the world ; and from him proceeds that Floly Spirit, 
which Jesus Christ still continues to shed abroad 
among his faithful followers. The Father had al- 
ready promised under the law, that he would grant 
unto his people a general out-pouring of his Spirit, 
under the reign of the Messiah. The memorable 
prophecy of Joel, as quoted by St. Peter, is generally 
known; and the following promises equally merit the 
attention ol believers. " In that day, I will pour upon 
the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jeru- 
salem, the spirit of grace and supplications : and they 
shall look upon me, whom they have pierced, and they 
shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only 



296 THE POKTllAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

son. I will pour water up®n him, that is thirsty, and 
floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my Spirit 
upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring. 
I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be 
clean. I will puc my Spirit within you, and cause 
you to walk in my statutes. I will give them one 
heart ; I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, 
and will give them an heart of flesh.'' That man 
must be prejudiced to an extreme degree, who per* 
ceives not, that these gracious prophecies began to 
receive their accomplishment upon the day of Pen- 
tecost, when the multitude of them that believed were 
" of one heart and one soul." 

The Jast day our risen Saviour passed upon earth, 
was employed in strengthening the faith of his dis- 
ciples, with respect to this promise.^ After having 
them together, " he commanded them to wait for 
the promise of the Father, which," continuedhe, -' ye 
have heard of me. For John truly baptized with 
water," and ye have done the same by my direction, 
M but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not 
many days hence. " 

After the grand promise under the dispensation 
of the Son was in part accomplished ; when the dis- 
ciples were filled with faith, and with the Holy 
Ghost, another promise was given to exercise their 
faith, to fix their attention, and to perfect their pa- 
tience; the promise of Christ's second coming to 
a gather his wheat into the garner, and to burn up the 
chafF with unquenchable fire. This same Jesus,'* 
said the Angels who appeared to the disciples on the 
day of their Masters ascension ; " This same Jesus 
which is taken up from you into Heaven, shall so 
come, in like manner as ye have seen him go into 
Heaven." This important promise was afterwards 
repeated by St. Paul and the other Apostles. " The 
Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven, with his 
mighty Angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on 
them that obey not the Gospel $ who shall be punish- 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 297 

cd with everlasting distinction from the presence of 
the Lord when he shall come to be glorified in his 
saints, and to be admired in all them that be- 
lieve. Behold he cometh with clouds, arid every eye 
shall see him, and they also which pierced him ; and 
all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. 
The day of the Lord will come, as a thief in the 
night." 

This coming of Christ, which is disregarded by 
many, for the reason assigned by St. Peter, is so fully 
expected by those, who live under the dispensation of 
the Spirit, that they are constantly " looking for, and 
hastening to, the coming of the day of God." Ac- 
cording to St. Paul, sinners are converted from the 
error of their ways, that they may u serve the living 
and the true God, and wait for his Son from Heaven, 
whom he raised from the dead : looking for that bles- 
sed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God 
and our Saviour Jesus Christ." This second coming 
of Christ was the object of this Apostle's highest 
hopes, after which he represents himself as " groan- 
ing" with the most fervent desire. " Yea, I count all 
things but loss," continues he, " that I may know him, 
and the power of his resurrection. Our conversation is 
in Heaven, from whence also we look for the Sa- 
viour, who shall change our vile bodv, that it may be 
fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the 
working, whereby he is even able to subdue all things 
unto himself." 

As God had afforded believers, under the old Tes- 
tament, a perspective view both of the manifestation 
of the Redeemer in a mortal body, and that dispensa- 
tion of the Spirit, which he was to open among his fol- 
lowers under the new Testament, so he had likewise 
.foretold, by his Prophets, the glorious return of that 
Saviour to the eaith. "The Lord cometh with ten 
thousands of his saints to execute judgment. Behold 
he shall come saith the Lord of Hosts. But who 
may abide the day of his coming ? and who shall stand 



298 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. TAVL. 

when he appeareth ? for he is like a refiner's fire, and 
like fuller's soap." 

Mark the terms, in which our Lord himself de« 
clared this sublime dispens?ition. " The love of ma- 
ny shall wax cold. False prophets shall arise, and ye 
shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by 
the Prophet Daniel stand in the holy place. Imme- 
diately after the tribulation of those days, the powers 
of the Heavens shall be shaken. And then shall ap- 
pear the sign of the Son of man in Heaven : then shall 
all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see 
the Son of man coming in the clouds of Heaven, 
with power and great glory. But of that day and 
hour knoweth no man. Watch therefore : for ye 
know not what hour your Lord doth come*" Thus 
Jesus himself testified of his second coming, and hi^ 
first disciples, in conformity to their Master's decla- 
ration, addressed a large assembly in the following 
terms, almost immediately after his ascension: " Re- 
pent yc, and be converted, that your sins may be 
blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come 
from the presence of the Lord ; and he shall send 
Jesus, which before was preached unto you ; whom 
the Heaven must receive, until the time of restitu- 
tion of all things, which God hath spoken by the 
the mouth of ail his holy Prophets, since the world 
began.'* 

So long as a minister embraces these different 
promises ; so long as, with a lively faith which is 
" the evidence of things not seen," he believes, that 
the Father sent Jus Son for the redemption of sin- 
ners, and his Holy Spirit for the sanctification of be- 
lievers. ...so long as, with a faith which is " the sub- 
stance of things hoped for," he believes, that Christ 
shall one clay return for the glorification of his 
saints ; so long he is saved by that " faith and hope," 
which enable him to preach the Gospel in all its 
wondcrous extent. So long, he not only compre- 
hends, but experiences the power of that Gospel in 



THE PORTRAIT ay ST. ?At?L. 299 

his own soul, while he labours to mak^ it manifest 
before the world, by his public discourses, and by 
ihe whole tenor of his conduct. 



THE TRUE MINISTER STUDIES THE DIFFERENT 
DISPENSATIONS, IN ORDER TO QUALIFY HIMSELF 
FOR THE DISCHARGE OF EVERY PART OF HIS 

run. 

THE pastor, who is ill instructed in the mys- 
teries of our holy religion, loses himself and leads 
his sheep astray. The good pastor, on the contrary 
having found out the way to everlasting life, presses 
forward therein at the head of his flock, and exhorts 
every heedless wanderer to follow his steps. He is 
conscious not only, that he has a mixture of sheep 
and goats in his fold ; but he knows that, among the 
former, there are some, to whose spiritual condition 
the sincere milk of the word is much better adapted, 
than stronger food. To all of* these he studies to ad- 
dress himself in a suitable manner. To those who 
are dead in trespasses and sin, equally destitute both 
of love and fear, he proclaims the first principles of 
the Gospel, such as " repentance from dead works, 
faith toward God, and an eternal judgment." Those 
who are already awakened from the delusions of sin, 
he anxiously leads into the paths of grace ; and endea- 
vours to conduct those to evangelical perfection, who 
have felt the " powers of the world to come." He 
easily distinguishes the mixed multitude of his hearers 
into a variety of classes. The unbelieving aud impen- 
itent, who are to be considered as without God and 
without hope in the World, are such as go on, with- 
out any symptom of fear, toward the gulph of per- 
dition ; whether it be by the high-road of vice, with 
the notoriously abandoned, or through the by-path of 



o&fr THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

hypocrisy,, with pharisaical professors* Converted 
sinners, or believers, are either under the dispensation 
of the Father, under that of the Son, or under that of 
the Holy Ghost, according to the different progress 
they have made in spiritual things :' and the faithful 
pastor is as perfectly acquainted with their various at- 
tainments, as a diligent tutor is acquainted with the 
different abilities of his several pupils. 

Believers, under the dispensation of the Father, 
are ordinarily surrounded with a night of uncertainty 
and doubt, though visited, at times, with a few scatter- 
ed rays of hope. Under the dispensation of the Son, 
the doubts of believers are dissipated, like those of the 
two disciples v/ho journeyed to Emmaus, while they 
discover more clearly, and experience more powerfully, 
the truths of the Gospel. But under the dispensation 
of the Spirit, they " walk in the light," and are led 
" into all truth, by the Spirit of truth ; the anointing 
which they have received, abideth in them, and teach-, 
eth them of all things" necessary to salvation. 

A father of the church paraphrasing upon those 
words of the Apostle, " LgfcI save us ; we perish".... 
apostrophizes thus with the doubting disciples ; 'You 
1 have your Saviour with you, what danger can you 
4 fear ? We are yet, they reply, but children, and have 
i attained but to a small degree of strength : hence we 
c are afraid. The descent of the Holy Spirit, that di- 
c vine protector, which has been graciously promised, 
i has not yet filled us with full assurance. This has 
1 been the cause of our unsteadiness hitherto ; and 
i hence, the Saviour so frequently reproaches us with 
* the weakness of our faith.' Now, all those christians, 
v/ho have not yet received the spiritual baptism, so fre- 
quently mentioned in the new Testament, are shut up 
in this state of weakness and doubt. But so soon as 
they are born of the Spirit, they cry out no longer 
with trembling fear, " save us ; we perish i" but they 
cry out in transports of gratitude, <* God, according to 
his mercy, hath saved us, by the washing of regenera- 






■ME PORTRAIT GF ST. PAUL. 3$ 1 

lion, and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which he hath 
shed on us abundantly, through Jesus Christ our Sa- 
viour !" 

Under the dispensation of the Father, believers 
constantly experience the fear of God, and, in gene- 
ral, a much greater degree of fear than love. Under 
the economy of the Son, love begins to gain the as- 
cendency over fear.. But under the dispensation of 
the Holy Spirit, " perfect Iovecasteth out fear;" be- 
cause it is peculiarly the office of the Comforter, to de- 
liver the soul from every thing that is liable to dis- 
tress and torment it. 

Under the economy of the Father, the believer 
is frequently heard to exclaim, M O wretched man 
that I am ! who shall deliver me from the body of 
this death ?" Under that of the Son, he gratefully 
cries out ; " I thank God," who hath affectually 
wrought this deliverance, " through Jesus Christ 
cur Lord :" but under the perfect Gospel, which is 
the dispensation of the Spirit, all believers are en- 
abled to say, with one voice ; " We have not received 
the spirit of bondage again to fear ; but we have re- 
ceived the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, 
Father! The Spirit itself beareth witness with our 
spirit, that we are the children of God, and joint heirs 
with Christ," 

St. Paul thus distinguishes the different states of 
advancement in the christian faith. " The heir, as 
long as he is a child," [and such is the case with belie- 
vers, under the dispensation of the Father] " dififer- 
eth nothing from a servant, though he be Lord of all ; 
but is under tutors and governors till the time ap- 
pointed of his Father. Even so we were once in a 
state of bondage: but when the fulness of the time 
was come, God sent forth his Son to redeem them 
that were under the Law, that we might receive the 
adoption of Sons/ And because ye are sons, God 
hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your heart*, 
crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more 

c c 



302 THE FORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

a servant, but a son, and if a son, then an heir of 
God, through Christ : by whom we have access into 
this grace, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.'* 

Our Lord himself evidently pointed out the pro- 
gressive state of the church, when turning to his dis- 
ciples, " he said; Blessed are the eyes which see 
the things that ye see : for I tell you, that many 
prophets and kings have desired to see those things, 
which ye see, and have not .seen them ; and to hear 
those things, which ye hear and have not heard 
them." Nevertheless, when their gracious Master 
held this language, he was at that time neither glo- 
rified, nor crucified : and it is well known, that the 
great glory of the Gospel, was to follow his sufferings 
and his triumph. 

The same subject is treated by St. Peter in his 
first epistle, where he speaks of that full salvation, 
which is to be considered, as the end or recompense 
of faith. " Of which salvation," saith he, " the Pro- 
phets have enquired and searched diligently, who 
prophesied of the grace that should come unto you : 
searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit 
of Christ, which was in them did signify, when it 
testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the 
glory that should follow. Unto whom it was re- 
vealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they 
did minister the things, which are now reported 
unto you, by them that have preached the Gospel 
unto you, with the Holy Ghost sent down from Hea- 
ven, which things the Angels desire to look into. 
Happy are ye ! for the Spirit of glory and of God 
resteth upon yon. Ye are a chosen generation, a 
peculiar people, that ye should shew forth the praises 
of him, who hath called you out of darkness into his 
marvellous light." 

Without an experimental knowledge of these 
severid stales, a minister can no more lead sinners 
to evangelical perfection,' than an illiterate peasant 
can communicate sufficient intelligence to his rustic 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PA15L, 

companions, to pass an examination for the highest 
degree in a university, 

It may here be necessary to mark out the grand 
truths, by which these dispensations are severally 
characterized. 

The common language under the dispensation 
of the Father, is a3 follows : " God hath made af 
one blood all nations of men, and hath appointed the 
bounds of their habitation ; that they should seek 
the Lord, if haply they might feci after him and find 
him, though he be not far from every one of us. 
The grace of God thai brmgeth salvation, hath ap- 
peared,'*' in different degrees, -' to all men ; For the 
living Goa is the Saviour of all men, especially of 
those that believe. God is no respecter of persons ; 
but in every nation, he thatfeareth him and worketh 
righteousness, is accepted with him. Without fai 
it is impossible to please him : for he that coraeth 
unto God, must believe that he is, and that he is a 
rewarder of them that diligently =>eek him. He hath 
shewed thee, O man, what is good ; and what doth 
the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love 
mercy, and to walk humbly with tny Goa." 

Oo^eive the language of the Son's dispensation. 
M Glory to Go.; in the highest, and on earth peace, 
good-will toward men. 1 bring you good tidings of 
great joy, which shall be to all people : for unto you is 
lis day. m the city of David, a Saviour, which 
is Christ the Lord. Grace and truth came by Jz^m 
Christ, who hath abolished death, ana hath brought 
life ana immortality to light thro u h the Gospel. 
Toe rour cometh and now is, when the true worship- 
pers shall worship the Father in Spirit ana in truth. 
Ve believe in Goci, believe also in me. if ihe Son 
shall make you free, ye shall be free i: This 

is the work ©f God, that ye believe on him whom 
he hath sent~..No man can come unto me. exqept the 
.her, which hath sent me draw him : and ever/ 



W4 THE PORTRAIT OF ST, PAUL. 

man, that hath heard, and hath learned of the Fa- 
ther, cometh unto me. He that believeth on the 
Son, hath everlasting life : and he, that believeth not 
the Son, shall not see life : but the wrath of God 
abide th on him." 

The dispensation of the Spirit is again distin* 
guishedby the following peculiar language. " This 
is that which was spoken by the Prophet Joel : In 
the last days," or under the last dispensations of my 
grace, " saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon 
all flesh, upon my servants, and upon my hand-mai- 
dens : and they shall prophesy, Jesus, being by the 
right hand oi' God exalted, and having received of the 
Father, the promise of the Holy Ghost, hath shed 
forth this" plenitude of grace, the effects of " which 
ye now see and hear. Repent," therefore, " and be 
baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus 
Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye shall re- 
ceive the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto 
you and to your children, and to all that are afar off, 
even as many as the Lord our God shall call." 

If at any time it is to be apprehended, that be- 
lievers are still carnal, and unrenewed by the Spirit 
of God, the pastor, who is conversant with these dif- 
ferent economies of grace, enquires with St. Paul ; 
u Have ye received the Holy Ghost, since ye 
believed ? When others, among his flock, demon- 
state both by their conversation and conduct, that 
they are influenced by the Spirit of Christ, he exhorts 
them in a manner suitable to the glorious dispensa- 
tion under which they live. Ye are washed, ye are 
sanctified, ye are justified, in the name of the 
Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. Your body 
is the temple of the Holy Ghost : therefore glorify 
God, in your body and in your spirit, which are 
God's. Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby 
ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Be filled 
with the Spirit ; speaking to yourselves in psalms 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL-. 305 

and hymns, and spiritual songs, making melody in 
your hearts unto the LorcU Rejoice evermore. 
Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks.'* 
This language is too elevated for natural men, 
who understand it no more than illiterate persons 
comprehend the most abstruse parts of science. 
Hence it is necessary, that the faithful minister 
should acquaint himself with the different conditions 
and capacities of all his hearers, if he would happily 
accomodate spiritual things to spiritual men. With- 
out this knowledge; he will, under every dispensa- 
tion, run the hazard of refusing to advanced chris- 
tians the solid nourishment they need, and of pre- 
senting to the natural man that celestial manna, 
which his very soul abhors. 



THE DIFFERENT DISPENSATIONS ARE PRODUCED 
BY THAT LOVELY VARIETY, WITH WHICH THK 
ALMIGHTY IS PLEASED TO DISTRIBUTE HIS FA- 
VOURS. 

IF the light of the Gospel had been due 
from God to every individual sinner; if he had not 
been left entirely free m every sense of the word, to 
impart it to whom, at what time, and in what degree 
soever was most pleasing to himself; his im partial 
justice would then have engaged him equally to il- 
luminate all mankind, and he must have caused the 
Sun of righteousness, immediately after the fall, to 
have shone out in its meridian brightness* In such 
case, there would have been but one cihpensasion of 
grace ; and the light of the Gospel would not have 
proceeded to its highest glory, by such j ust grada- 
tions, as are observable in all the productions of na- 
ture. 

c c 2 



306 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

But the Almighty has proceeded in the work of 
our redemption, according to the dictates of his 
own unerring wisdom, and not upon the plans of our 
pretended sages. The day of the Gospel, whether 
it be considered as enlightening the world in gene- 
ral, or the heart in particular, rises, like the natural 
day, from one degree of brightness to another, till all 
its glories are fully manifested. 

The confusion which many divines have spread 
over this part of theology, makes it necessary to ^o 
into particulars, that we may place in a just point of 
view, both the gradations and the harmony of those 
three dispensations, which collectively form the glo- 
rious Gospel of God* 

If some naturalists were determined to confine 
their observations upon the rainbow, to those lines in 
it that are manifestly red ; if naturalists of another 
class as were obstinate in contemplating those of an 
orange hue ; and if others were as resolutely bent in 
singling- out those of a blue colour ; they would 
contradict and dispute with each other in as ridicu- 
lous a manner, as many ignorant worshippers of the 
triune God are observed to do at this day. Thus 
deists dispute for the honour of God the Creator ; 
and while some christians pay all their homage to 
God the Redeemer, others are as wholly taken up 
with God the Sanctifier. Amidst all the confusion of 
these jarring sentiments, the prudent pastor admits, 
in their proper place, the various dispensations of 
Evangelical light, conducting his followers ftom 
faith to faiih, till he beholds them illuminated with 
ail the truths, and experiencing ail the power of the 
christian religion. 

We acknowledge that Godis just, though the light 
of the natural sun approaches us oniy in a gradual 
mam er, producing a constant variety both in our 
days and seasons. We do not accuse the supreme 
Being of injustice, because he is not pleased to bring 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAU1-. 30? 

the fruits of the earth, in an instant to their highest 
maturity ; or because the same species of fruit, 
which is esteemed for its delicious flavour in one 
climate, is found worthless and insipid in another. 
And if the Sovereign of the world is not expected to 
ripen on a sudden, either the reason of individuals, 
or the knowledge of nations, it should not be matter 
of surprize to observe him acting in his usual man- 
ner, with respect to things of a spiritual nature. 
His plans are all equally wise : but it is impossible 
for man to form a perfect judgment of them, unless 
the creature could stand for a moment in the place 
of the Creator, snd take one comprehensive view of 
earth and heaven, time and eternity. If, " one day 
is with the Lord as a thousand years," when he is 
pleased in an unexpected manner, to fulfil his grand 
designs : kt and a thousand years as one day," when 
he sees good to accomplish his purposes in a more 
gradual way : why should it so strangely affiict and 
amaze us, that he has left the human race in a state 
of suspence, with regard to his unsearchable coun- 
sels, for near six thousand years ? The time is com- 
ing when he will discover to us that stupendous plan, 
which, in our present circumstances, we coniem- 
plate with every disadvantage ; and just as an animal- 
cule, whose life is limited to six hours, would con- 
template the plan of an immense paiace, which a 
skilful architect had promised to complete in as ma- 
ny years. Supposing such an insect endued with 
reason, and coming into existence during the night, 
should blindly crawl among the loose materials of 
which the intended edifice was to be constructed ; 
what opinion could it form either of the architect, 
or his plan? Would not this insignificant creature be 
led to judge of these matters, as the pretended phi- 
losopher inconsiderately judges of that mysterious 
plan, upon which the Almighty is erecting the tem- 
ple of truth, and creating an incorruptible world ? If 
the Creator thought it necessary to employ six days 



SOS THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

in completing the beauties of the material world ; 
and if the Redeemer judges it expedient, progres- 
sively to perfect the more lasting beauties of a spi- 
ritual world during six of his more ample days ; 
bow little reason have we to despise the comp:ehen- 
sive design ; especially* when we consider six thou- 
sand years are far more inconsiderable in compari- 
son of eternity, than six atoms in comparison with 
this terrestrial globe ? 

Now if such a plan is not only reasonable, but 
has been evidently adoped by him, who"giveth 
not account of any of his matters," it is undoubtedly 
true, that those who have lived in different periods 
of time, have not been permitted to enjoy all the 
various truths, which God has successively revealed 
to man. Nevertheless, it is equally certain, that 
every man, in what period of time, and in what pe- 
culiar circumstances soever he found himself placed 
has received sufficient light to discover, as well as 
sufficient power to perform, what God has been 
pleased to require at his hands. 

The day of evangelical truth is graciously allow 
ed to all mankind, that they may thereby be assisted 
to discover, to love, and to obey their celestial Pa- 
rent : and finally that they may reach the mark of 
their high destination, which is the enjovment of 
those different degrees of blessedness, which are 
reserved for the different classes of the faithful. Let 
us consider the morning of this sacred day. When 
the first man had extinguished in his heart the 
light of truth and the fire of charity ; when he be- 
came sufficiently stupid to think of concealing him- 
self fi om his God among the trees ol the garden, 
and sufficiently impious to throw the blame of ins 
offence upon his companion in transgression, instead 
of confessing his disobedience with all itsaggtava- 
tions : it is evident, that man was then without 
Christ, i. e. without * Saviour, without hope, arid 
without God in the world." In that night of error, 



THE FORTH AIT 07 ST. PAUL. 

of confusion, and probably, of despair, the promise 
of a powerful Redeemer was given to our first 
parents, whence certain beams of hope were pro- 
duced, which formed the earliest twilight of the Gos- 
pel- da v. 

The tradition of this gracious promise, which 
was made to Adam and confirmed to Noah ; the 
natural law, which is nothing less than the remains 
of the Creator's image in the human heart ; and the 
secret grace of the Redeemer, w hich is more or less 
operative in every man ; these collectively formed 
that evangelical dawn, which was for a long time 
universally experienced in the world] and which 
may, with propriety, be termed, either geniiiism, the 
religion of the first patriarchs, the Gospel of the hea- 
then, or the dispensation of the Father. In this 
low dispensation, and under these faint glimmer- 
ings of truth, the generality of mankind are still 
unhappily observed to live. And though clouds of 
prejudice, together with vain tradition, deprive pa- 
gan nations, in part, of this inestimable Light, yet 
sufficient remain* among them, for the direction of 
those, who are seeking after the light of a less ob- 
scure dispensation. 

When mankind had become almost universally- 
unfaithful to the grace of geniiiism, and unmindful 
of the pa*t vengeance of God in destroying the 
world; when they had plunged themselves into the 
most impious excesses, and were wholly given up 
to the grossest idolatry : at that time, the Almighty- 
resolved to separate from the corrupted nations, a 
single people, who should preserve among them the 
divine worship in its pari y ; a people, among whom 
the Messiah should b~ born, and who should spread 
around them both Lhe expectation and he promise 
of so wonderful a Deliverer. Moses, Aaron, and 
Joahua, were the representatives of this extraordi- 
nary person. Moses, as a Prophet and Legislator ; 
Aaron, as an High-priest appointed of God j and 



310 TffE PORTRAIT ©F ST. PAUL. 

Joshua, as an illustrious conqueror, dividing the 
Kingdoms of Canaan among those who had followed 
him through the dangers of a tedious warfare. 
Thus the Jews became a preaching people to the 
rest of the world, preserving in it the light of the 
Father's dispensation, and preparing it for the fur- 
ther dispensation of the Son : insomuch, that the 
expectation of a divine Restorer was spread over 
many parts of the earth, as we learn from two pagan 
historians, whose testimony deserves credit. Nay, 
the Sybils, and even Virgil himself took occasion 
from this general expectation, of applying to Au- 
gustus the predictions of a sublime conqueror, 
who was to issue from the east, renewing the face 
of things. 

Judaism then seems to have been nothing more 
than the dispensation of the Father, though undoubt- 
edly more luminous than it had formerly appeared 
before the calling of Abraham. The moral Law 
given by Moses, w r as but a new edition of the natu- 
ral Law, which had been given before, and the cere- 
monial Law was added thereto, as a further con- 
firmation of the original promise. This was, how- 
ever, a remarkable advance toward the dispensation 
of the Son and that of the Holy Ghost, since the 
mysteries of both were shadowed forth by the inte- 
rior parts of the temple, by sacrifices, by ablutions, 
by anointings, by perfumes, by burning lamps, and 
sacred fires. 

The universal creed under this ancient dispensa- 
tion still forms a part of that, which is received 
among christians: and there is no tue worshiper 
under this economy, but who can say, with sinceri- 
ty ; u I believe in God, the Father Almighty, the 
Creator and Preserver of heaven and earth, the 
avenger of sin, and the rewarder of those who faith- 
fully serve him ; and I trust the time is coming, 
when some divine instructot will enable me more 
fully to know and obey this incomprehensible Fa- 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PATTL. 311 

ther of the universe. " May such an instructor soon 
appear, was the united prayer of Socrates and Plato, 
" Let him hasten his coming," says the true Jew 
and pious theibt, " under whatever appellation he 
may choose to appear. Let him be called ihe seed 
of the woman, the seed of Abraham, or the 
Son of David ; let his name be, the Messiah, the 
Son of God, the Logos, Emanuel, Joshua, Jesu?, 
Saviour; or only, the Prophet, the Angel of theco\e- 
nant, or the messenger of God ; it is of little conse- 
quence ; if he brings but life and immortality to 
light, I will receive him with gratitude and joy." 
Such is the faith, by which those Jews, Mahome- 
tans, and Pagans, whose hearts are principled with 
humility, candour and the fear of God, have been, 
and still continue to be saved in evety part of the 
world. For the Father of mercies, who knoweth 
whereof we are made, will no more absolutely con- 
demn such worshippers, on account of the extraor- 
dinary respect they have dicovered for Moses, Ma- 
homet, and Confucius, than he will finally reject 
some pious christians, for the sake of that excessive 
veneration, which they manifest for particular saints 
and reformers ; nor will he punish either, because 
their guides have mingled prejudice with truth, and 
legendary fables with thee doctrines of theology. 

As a prudent physician proportions his medi- 
cines to the different ages and habits of his patients, 
so the enlightenad pastor, who feels himself con- 
cerned for the spiritual health of his flock, sees it 
necessary to act with equal care aud discretion. 
He preaches the dispensation of the Son to those, 
who like Socrates and Plato, are longing for a divine 
instructor, as well as to those, who like Simeon, 
Kicodemus, and Cornelius, are waiting for the con- 
solation of Israel. He leads ihem, either from the 
Law of Moses, or from the Law of nature, to the 
Gospel of Christ ; explaining, with precision, those 
parts ef the new Testament, which exhibit the com- 



312 THS PORTRAIT ©F ST. PAUL, 

mencement of the Son's dispensation, together with 
all he taught, performed, and suffered while he con- 
tinued upon earth. 

Lastly, to such as have devoutly embraced this 
part of the Gospel, he publishes the glorious eco- 
nomy of the Holy Spirit, which was no* fully opened 
till after the bodily appearance cf the Redeemer was 
withdrawn from the world. Then it was, that he 
descended in the fulness of the Spirit, directing 
and supporting his disciples, animating and sanctifi- 
ing his members, and manifesting that Kingdom of 
God, that dispensation of righteousness, peace and 
joy, which is so largely treated of in the acts and 
epistles of the Apostles. 

These three dispensations have one common 
end. They mutually tend to manifest the different 
perfections of the Supreme Being, to raise man 
from his present low estate, and to perfect his na- 
ture. This threefold design is apparent under the 
dispensation of the Father ; it unfolds itself more 
clearly under that of the Son ; and shines out with 
encreasing lustre under that of the Holy Spirit. As 
it is one and the same Sun, that animates every 
thing in the natural world, so it is one and the same 
God, that operates every thing in the kingdom of 
grace. He, whom we address as our Heavenly Fa- 
ther, in that sacred form of prayer which is com- 
mon among christians, is the very God, in whose 
name the ancient Patriarchs were accustomed to 
bless their children. The worcf, through which we 
address him, is no ether than that " light of the 
world," by which the antediluvian fathers were illu- 
minated in their several generations: and the Holy 
Ghost, by which the souls of the faithful are divinely 
regenerated, is the same Spirit, that primarily 
44 moved upon the face of the waters;" of which also 
it was said, in the clays of Noah, " My Spirit shall 
not always strive with man." 



THE TttTR X1T 01 ST. PAUL. 313 

There never was a time, in which the Son and the 
Spirit were not occupied in completing the salvation 
of believers. But there was a time, when the Sen 
became manifest upon the earth, making a visible 
his astonishing labours : and then it was 
that his particular dispensation had its commence- 
ment. So likewise there was a time, when the Holy 
Ghost, more abundantly shed forth by the Father 
and the Son, began to work his mysterious opera- 
tions in a more sensible manner : and at that time 
commenced the particular dispensation of the Spirit, 
which serves to perfect the dispensation of the Son, 
as that of the Son was given to perfect the dispen- 
sation of the Father. 

These distinctions are founded upon reason, 
upon revelation, and upon the Apostles' creed. 

1. Reason suggests, that mankind must for ever 
remain under the sovereignty of their omnipotent 
Creator, and accountable to him, for the use they 
make of his innumerable favours. Reason further 
discovers, that, if man should admit the darkness of 
error into his understanding, and the fatal influence 
of sin into his will, he cannot possibly recover his 
pristine state, except by the manifestation of a ne ; .v 

fit, and the exertions of a stronger influence But 
who shall produce the former except that Saviour, 
who "is the light of the world V 1 Or, who shall sup- 
ply the latter, except that energetic Spirit, which 
M helpeth our infirmities." 

2. These distinctions are founded upon revela- 
tion. The volume of truth informs us, that the 
Creator foretold the coming of a Redeemer, and 

it the Redeemer, during his outward manifesta- 
tion, proclaimed the near approach of another Com- 
forter. It is undoubtedly true, that some earnes , 
of redeeming grace, together with the first f: 
of the Spirit, were experienced even by the most an- 
cient inhabitants of the earth. It is true 
hj means of those earnests and first fruits, many 

D d 



314 THE PORTRAIT ©F ST. PAUL 

myriads of mankind have been saved in every age 
of the world. But it is no less true, that the pleni- 
tude of these sacred gifts was reserved to a very- 
distant period of time ; since, after the first pro- 
mise of a Redeemer was given, rsear four thousand 
years elapsed before he made his public appearance ; 
and while he continued upon earth, it is expressly- 
said, that " the Holy Ghost was not yet given/' in 
its full measure ; " because that Jesus was not yet 
glorified." 

3. Christians are taught to distinguish these dif- 
ferent degrees of evangelical grace, and to rejoice in 
all the advantages of these three dispensations, 
when they are solemnly baptized in the name 
of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. And 
this they publicly profess to do so often as they re- 
peat the three principal articles of the Apostles' 
creed. Happy would it be, if through the demon- 
stration of that Holy Spirit^ in which they affect to 
believe, they were enabled experimentally to confess 
their Almighty Father and his redeeming Son, Every 
one of them might then thankfully add, I experi- 
ence " the communion of saints," and " the forgive- 
ness of sins :" I joyfully and confidently expect "the 
resurrection of the body, and life everlasting/' 

It is presumed, that no doctrines can come more 
strongly recommended to the consideration of pro- 
fessing christians, than those which are undeniably 
founded upon reason and revelation, upon that out- 
ward form of baptism, and that primitive creed* 
which are universally received in the christian 
world. 

The attentive reader will easily perceive, that 
the difference between these several dispensations, 
is formed by those different degrees in which the 
Redeemer is manifested. Under gentilism and Ju- 
daism, or under the general and particular dispen- 
sations of the Father, the Redeemer is both an- 
nounced and expected : he is announced by the Fa- 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 21.5 

ther's original promise, by tradition, by types, by 
prophecies; and he is expected as a Saviour, w 
shall, sooner or later, make his appearance- Under 
the baptism of John, and under that imperfect Chris- 
tianity which is received by a baptism of water, the 
Redeemer is apprehended, in some measure, by 
sense ; or by a faith which merely respects the his- 
tory of the Gospel : but he is only apprehended, as 
a Saviour manifested in the flesh, to accomplish the 
external act of redemption. It is otherwise, under 
that perfect Christianity, to which we are introduced 
by the mysterious baptism of the Spirit, in v. hich 
the Redeemer is manifested after a maimer abund- 
antly more glorious. He is now received as com- 
ing in the Spirit, after having died for 'oar sins and 
risen again for our justification. Now he performs 
the spiritual work of redemption in the soul, deli- 
vering his people from the power of sin by commu- 
nicating to them the special efficacy cf his death, 
his resurrection, and his triumph. Henceforth, he 
is a Comforter, not only iviih, but in us ; where he 
spiritually exercises his acknowledged offices, in- 
structing, purifying, and, finally, subduing ail things 
to himself. 



THE DIFFERENT PREACHERS UNDER THESE DIF- 
FERENT DISPENSATIONS. 

^ PERSUADED, that confusion is the source 
cf a thousand errors, the prudent minister endea- 
vours to place the truths of the Gospel in their pro- 
per order : and reflecting upon those preachers 
who have formerly proclaimed them, he is enabled 
to produce something upon their separate testimo- 
nuts, which may serve to edify the different classes 
of his hearers. Thus St. Paul, when preaching to 



SIS THE PORTRAIT ®F ST. PAUL, 

the Athenians, judged it convenient to cite one of 
their own poets, rather than Moses : and thus, in 
addressing those teachers, who leave the Gospel in 
order to set up a vain philosophy, the true minister 
may find it necessary to produce the description 
Which Epictetus has given of a real philosopher. 

Every dispensation has had its peculiar preachers, 
and the pastor who is led into ail truth, is anxious to 
second these preachers, by publishing, in their proper 
place, those sacred truths which they have respec- 
tively delivered, according to their different propor- 
tions of grace. 

The preachers under the dispensation of the Fa- 
ther, are 

1. " The works of creation. The heavens, "saith 
David, " declare the glory of God, and the firmament 
sheweth his handy work : That which may be 
known of God," adds St. Paul, " is manifest," even 
among the heathen. " For the invisible things of 
him, from the creation of the world, are clearly 
seen, being understood by the things that are made> 
even his eternal power and Godhead ; so that they 
are without excuse : because that when they knew 
God, they glorified him not as God.'' 

2. " Providence : The living God," saith the 
Apostle, u who in times past, suffered all nations to 
walk in their own ways, left himself not without wit- 
ness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from 
Heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with 
food and gladness/* 

3. Those dreadful scourges, with which an aveng- 
ing God is constrained to correct a rebellious world. 
'tiuch as u famine, pestilence, war," &c. 

4. Reason ; which is a ray from that divine 
word, that eternal logos, that true light, which light- 
cneth every man that cometh into the world." 

5. u Conscience : For the Gentiles," saith St. 
Paul, " which have not the law" written by Prophets 
and Apostles," are a law unto themselves: their 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 3 \7 

conscience bearing witness, and their thoughts ac- 
cusing, or else excusing one another." 

6. Enoch, Noah, and ail the holy patriarchs who 
lived before the flood. 

7. All those pious persons, who have inculcated 
the fear of God, and published the traditionary pro- 
mise which was given to our first parents. 

8. The prophets and priests among the Jews, to- 
gether with the sacred poets and true philosophers 
among the ancient heathens. 

9. Those priests, who, among Jews. Mahometans* 
and modern Pagans, recommend, with sincerity, ho- 
liness and the fear of God. 

And lastly, all those preachers of Christendom, 
who, blind to the dispensations of the Son and the 
Spirit, fall back into gentilism, delivering only such 
moral essays, as have been abundantly exceeded by 
philosophers of old. 

As this dispensation has ever had, and still conti- 
nues to have, its celebrated preachers; so it has fre- 
quently had, and may yet continue to have, its con- 
fessors and martyrs. If it were possible to come at 
the history of all those, who have been eminently dis- 
tinguished by their piety under this economy, ; 
who have nobly suffered in the cause of godliness, 
we might probably discover many an Abel, and many 
a Zacharias, many an Aristides, and many a So- 
crates, in every nation under Heaven. In comp 
with these amiable and honourable characters, the 
evangelical pastor is constantly observed, so far as 
they proceed in the high-way of truth: but he ad- 
vances far beyond them, when he would associate 
with ihe preachers cf the Son's dispensation. 

The heralds of truth, under this dispensation, are 

1. The priesi Zacharias, who announced the 
compiishment of the promise which was mace to the 
patriarchs. 

2. The Angel, who first brought down the 

of the Messiah's birth, in company with the niuhi- 

d d 2 



313 THE PORTRAIT 0F ST. PAtfL. 

lude of the heavenly host, who attended him upon 
that extraordinary occasion. 

3. Those Jewish priests, who directed the magi 
from Jerusalem to the city, in which Christ was 
born. 

4. Those celestial voices, which declared, upon 
mount Tabor, .and on the banks of Jordan, that Je- 
sus Christ was the beloved Son of the Father. 

5. John the baptist, who proclaimed Christ come 
in the flesh, and endeavoured to prepare the peni- 
tent for the dispensation of the Spirit. 

6. Those seventy disciples, who were commis- 
sioned by our Lord to preach the Gospel. 

And, lastly ; all those teachers of the present 
day, who, like Apollos in the beginning of his mi- 
nistry, perceive nothing beyond that inferior dis- 
pensation, of which an outward baptism is consi- 
dered as the seal. 

Under the dispensation of the Spirit, the preach- 
ers, are 

1. The Apostles, who entered upon their excel- 
lent ministry, after being first miraculously endued 
with power from on high. 

2. All those ministers of the Gospel, who, after 
receiving into their own hearts " the spirit of adop- 
tion," proclaim the* coming of that Spirit to those, who* 
have already experienced " repentance toward God,, 
and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. 5 ' Such mi- 
nisters alone may be said to proclaim the spiritual 
Kingdom of God : and those alone can experimentally 
direct believers to the absolute fulfilment of every 
Gospel promise. The teachers of this day, instead 
of proclaiming the grand promise of Christianity, un- 
happily renounce that promise ; imagining, that it 
merely respected the first followers of Jesus, or, at 
most, that it w T as confined to the earliest ages of the 
christian church. Far from publishing the Gospel in 
its abundant plenitude, these unskilful evangelists are 
rxt Jok to preach all that imperfect Gospel, which in 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 31$ 

scripture language is called, " the baptism of John." 
icly announced the baptism of the Holy 

G tost : and far from despising such baptism himself 
he openly declared, that he had u need to be baptized 
of Christ." Nevertheless, John was put to death be- 
fore the pre r Fw^tther -was fully accomplished : 

. on this account our -Lord declared, that the » k least 
in the kingdom of Keaven," i. e. the lowest under the 
dispensation of the Spirit, should be accounted M greater 
than he.'' , Yea, even the soldiers of Cornelius, after 
the Spirit had descended upon them, were assisted to 
publish the mysteries of that kingdom with greater 

trness, ana with a more lively conviction, than the 
fore-runner of Jesus had ever done. 

That prophet doubted before his death, as well as 
all the Apostles before the day of Pentecost. But un- 
der the dispensation of the Holy Spirit, the great 
truths of the Gospel are demonstrated by the power 
of an internal evidence, which leaves in the heart n@ 
more room for doubt, than a mathematical demonstra- 
tion leaves rccm for hesitation in the mind. Further.... 
John the Baptist barely intimated the necessity of a 
spiritual baptism : but the most illiterate among the 
centurion's servants could say : Christ hath baptized 
me with the Koly Ghost and with fire : and the pro- 
b be hath already fulfilled to me, who am 
a poor Gentile, he will as gloriously accomplish in fa- 
vour of others, since u the promise is" given ;i to all 
that are i, even as many as the Lord our God 

Thus, under this sublime dispensation, 
every i servant of the Lord is enabled to pro- 

phesy out of tl bis heart, and to speak the 

wonderful works of God. Thus also, every zealous 
minister, persevering in his pursuit after evangelical 
truth, becomes, at length, of the same society with 
those, - lie first and most effectual preacher* 

ef the everlasting GospeL 



S'-SO ME P@RTB.AIT ©F ST. PAU&. 



THE DISPENSATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IS NOW 
IN FORCE, AND THE MINISTER WHO PREACHES 
THIS DISPENSATION, CANNOT JUSTLY BE ESTEEMED 
AN ENTHUSIAST. 

TO reject the Son of God manifested in the 
Spirit, as worldly christians are universally observ- 
ed to do, is a crime of equal magnitude with that of 
the Jew, who rejected Christ manifested in the flesh. 
Nevertheless, in vain has the Apostle Paul informed 
us, " that Jesus Christ is a priest for ever, after the 
order of Melchisedec ; the same yesterday, to-day 
and for ever." In vain has John the Batpist de- 
clared, that " he shall baptize us v/ith the Holy 
Ghost and with fire." In vain, has Christ himself 
made a gracious offer of this baptism to all nations. 
In spite of all these declarations, our incredulity 
still seeks out some plausible reason for rejecting 
the dispensation of the Spirit. 

So long as those perilous times shall continue 
which were foretold by St Paul, so long we may 
expect tobehold multitudes of erring professors, who 
like the ancient pharisees, not only refuse to enter 
into the Kingdom of God themselves, but resolutely 
withstand all those, who are striving to enter in. 
These faithless christians, resembling the timorous 
spies of old are constantly prepared to discourage 
every persevering Israelite, by raising evil reports of 
their promised rest. Attached to this present dege- 
nerate world, as the wife of Lot was attached to her 
polluted city, they are ever insinuating, that there is 
little danger lo be apprehended in their present 
situation : and as for that full dispensation of the 
Spirit, concerning which so many excellent things 
are spoken, they confidently assert, that it cannot 
be expected in the present time, without giving 
way to the highest presumption and folly. On these 
accounts^ it becomes absolutely necessary, that the 



S'HE PORTRAIT ©P ST. PAUL. 321 

true minister should stand prepared " to give every 
man a" solid " answer, that asketh a reason of the 
feope that is in him." 

That the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit 
were peculiarly necessary to the Apostles, and that 
they were actually put in possession of such gifts, 
we readily allow. But, at the same time, we con- 
sider these gifts as entirely distinct from the Spirit 
itself. When the Spirit of grace takes the full pos- 
session of a particular person, he may, if the edifi- 
cation of the church requires it, bestow upon that 
person some extraordinary gift, in an instantaneous 
manner : as the prince who honours any subject 
with an important commission, invests him with suf* 
ficient power for the execution of such commission* 
But the presents of a prince do not always demon- 
strate his actual presence ; since it is very possible 
for a prince to lodge with one of his subjects, upon 
whom he has conferred no inestimable favour, while 
he makes a magnificent present to another, whom 
he has never condescended to visit in person. Thus 
the Holy Spirit descended upon Mary the mother 
of Jesus, together with several other women, as well 
as upon the Apostles, with whom they continued in 
earnest supplication and prayer ; nevertheless, it 
does not appear, that anyone of them received, even 
the gift of tongues. On the other hand, we are 
well assured, that many persons, who never received 
the Spirit of holiness, were yet outwardly distin- 
guished by several extraordinary gifts of the Holy 
Ghost. The first king of Israel gave rise to that 
memorable proverb, " Is Saul also among the pro- 
phets }[' Jonah though he possesed neither the faith, 
nor the charily, which are common to many chris- 
tians of this age, was yet commissioned to visit 
Nineveh with an extraordinary message from Hea- 
ven. And we are informed, that Judas was endued 
with the power of performing miracles, as Balaam 
had before been honoured with the gift of prophecy 



32S THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAl/L* 

But, notwithstanding these external appearances we 
may rest assured, that neither Saul, nor Balaam, 
nor Judas had fully experienced that happy estate, 
which the meanest among the primitive christians 
was permitted to enjoy. When, therefore, we 
assert, that every sincere believer becomes- a a tem- 
ple of the Holy Ghost :" it is not to be understood 
by such expression, that they have received the pow- 
er of working miracles ; since in this sense, St. 
Paul himself was not always replenished with the 
Spirit. But it should rather be understood, that 
the same Spirit of humility, of zeal, of faith, and of 
charity, which so eminently dwelt in Christ, con- 
tinually flows from him to the meanest of his spi- 
ritual members, as the sap is known to pass from 
the trunk of a vine into the least of its branches. 

The old and new Testament sufficiently prove, 
that the special influences of the Spirit are to be 
universally experienced by the faithful in every age. 
Isaiah promises this invaluable blessing to these, 
who are athirst for God. Ezekiel announces the 
same blessing, in a variety of passages, to ail those, 
who enjoy the privileges of the new covenant. The 
prophet Joel more directly promises the extraordi- 
nary effusion of the Holy Spirit, to " the young and 
the old" among the people of God; to " their sons 
and their daughters, their servants and their hand- 
maids. " John the Baptist expressly repeats the 
same promise to all those, who partake of his infe- 
rior baptism. Our Lord invites every believer freely 
to come and receive the long expected blessing. 
St. Peter unreservedly offers it to the truly penitent, 
and St. Paul every where declares, that it is the 
common privilege of christians to "be fdled with 
the Spirit." Nay, he even intimates, that the name 
of Christian should be refused to those, who have 
not received the promise of the Father. These few 
passages abundantly testify, how strangely those 
professors deceive themselves, who confidently 



THE PORTRAIT ©y ST. PAUL. 3&g 

affirm that the Holy Spirit was promised to the 
Apostles alone. 

Revelation is no sooner admitted, but reason 
itself confirms the very truth for which we contend. 
Why was the Holy Spirit to be poured out in its full 
measure upon the first followers of Christ ? If in 
order to their sanctification ; have we less need of 
holiness than the Apostles had? If it was to shed 
abroad in their hearts the love of God ; is that love 
less necessary for us than for them I If to make inter- 
cession for them with groanings which cannot be ut- 
tered ; were the Apostles supposed to stand in greater 
need of such intercession than all other men ? Lastly ; 
if the Holy Ghost was given, that believers might be 
enabled to cry out...." Who shall separate us from the 
love of Christ ? Shall tribulation, persecution, or death ? 
O death, wnere is thy sting ? O grave, where is thy 
victory ? Thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory, 
through our Lord Jesus Christ".... if so ; then it should 
seem, that the Apostles alone were called to suffer 
And die in a manner so perfectly worthy of christians. 

The more we meditate upon the scriptures of 
truth, the more we shall be convinced, that the expe- 
rience of real christians, and the reason of natural 
men, coincide with that sacred volume, in demonstrat- 
ing, that the grand promise of a Comforter must res- 
pect every sincere believer, as well as the first disci- 
ples of Jesus. To reject, then, this precious gift, 
is to trample under foot the pearl of great price, and to 
despise the Redeemer himself in that spiritual appear- 
ance, which is of far greater importance to us than 
his outward manifestation in Judea. Further ; to in- 
sinuate among christians, that the promise of Christ's 
spiritual coming is no longer in force, is to enervate 
the glorious Gospel of God, and to maintain in his 
church that detestable lukewarmness, which will ulti- 
mately prove the ground of its condemnation. It is 
to surpass the Jews in their obstinate rejection of our 
@nly Lord and Saviour. There was tie need, says the 



524 -JTHE PORTRAIT CF ST. PAUL, 

incredulous Jew, that the Messiah should suffer and 
die for our sins : nor is there any need, says the carnal 
christian, that the Saviour should come in a spiritual 
manner to reign in my heart. The one destroys the 
body, the other the soul, of Christianity : and both are 
equal strangers to the renovating power of the Gospel. 
The true minister, struck with the magnitude of 
this sin, so general in the present day, incessantly la- 
bours for the restoration of those, who are deeply 
plunged in so destructive an error. 



THE EVANGELICAL PAST©R DEFENDS THE DIS- 
PENSATION OF THE SPIRIT AGAINST ALL OP- 
POSERS, 

WHATEVER dispensation of grace the true 
minister announces, he is constrained, with St. Paul, 
to brandish his spiritual weapons " on the right 
hand, and on the left." If he publishes the dispen- 
sation of the Father, he finds it necessary to defend 
its important truths against the daringly prophane, 
on the one hand; and on the other, against the vainly 
superstitious. When he preaches, the dispensation 
©f the Son, he has still greater occasion to arm him- 
self on every part, in defence of the doctrine he 
maintains. On the left hand, he is attacked either by 
deists, who wholly disclaim all ideas of a Saviour : or 
by socinians, who despoil that Saviour of his greatest 
glory : and on the right, he is assailed by ill-in- 
structed christians who under pretence of exalting 
the Son, look down with contempt upon the dispen- 
sation of the Father; not considering, that, by this 
error, they oppose one principal design of Christ's 
appearing which was that we might worship the Fa- 
ther in Spirit and in truth. But it is chiefly with re- 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAWL. 325 

spect to the third dispensation, that the christian 
preacher is constrained to wield, without ceasing", 
that " sword of the Spirit/' and that ^shield of faith," 
with which St. Paul was so anxious to see every chris- 
tian armed. As this doctrine is abundantly more ele- 
vated than the preceding dispensations, so it stands 
more exposed to the shafts of innumerable enemies. 
On the left, it is incessantly attacked by carnal profes- 
sors, and on the right, by fanatical zealots. These 
two classes of adversaries, though continually at war 
with each other, unhappily agree in opposing, either 
directly or indirectly, the progress of this glorious 
dispensation, obliging the faithful minister, with equal 
intrepidity, to combat both. 

Observe the grand argument, with which carnal 
christians carry on this opposition. ' The Comforter/ 
say they, ' which was graciously promised to our 
Lord's first disciples, was undoubtedly received by 
those highly-favoured missionaries, and conducted them 
into all the truths of the Gospel. From this divine 
Spirit they received continual assistance in spreading 
that Gospel, and by him they were endued with those 
miraculous gifts, which served as so many incontesta- 
ble marks of their sacred mission. But as Christianity 
is at this time firmly established in the world, the 
letter of the Holy Scriptures is now abundantly suf- 
ficient for every purpose ; and there is no longer any 
Eecessity for that baptism and illumination of the Spi- 
rit, which were evidently requisite among the primi- 
tive christians.' 

As the mistaken Jews, perfectly satisfied with the 
law of Moses inscribed upon tables of stone, reject- 
ed, with obstinacy, the v* vomised Messiah : so these 
carnal christians* contented with the letter of the 
new Testament, perversely reject the 4; Holy Spirit of 
promise. Search the Scriptures ; for they testify of 
me," was our Lord's exhortation to those deluded 
formalisms: and the true minister continues the same 
exhortation upon those, who blindly oppose the com- 

e e 



336 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUX. 

ing of Christ's spiritual Kingdom. He is anxious? 
with his heavenly Master, to put the matter upon 
this issue ; fully conscious, that they who peruse 
those sacred pages with an unprejudiced mind, must 
readily observe, that, instead of superseding the 
necessity of a spiritual baptism, they give ample 
testimony, that such baptism is to be considered as 
a privilege freely offered to the whole multitude of 
believers. 

When christians affirm, that the manifestation of 
the Spirit jj : s no longer to be sought after, except in 
that mysterious volume which promises this manifest 
tation to the church ; modern Jews might as well de- 
clare, that they look for no other manifestation of 
their Messiah, than that which is to be found in 
those books of Moses and the Prophets, where the 
coming of that Messiah is repeatedly promised. 
But if it be said, the Spirit of Christ was fully given 
to his first discipfes, and that is sufficient for us s 
this argument has in it as great absurdity, as the 
following method of reasoning. Moses instructs 
us, that God created the Sun, and that the patriarchs 
were happily enlightened by it : but the supreme 
illumination of that Sun is no longer to be disco- 
vered, except in the writings of Moses : and those 
labourers are downright enthusiasts, who imagine 
they need any other rays from that luminary, ex- 
cept such as are reflected upon them from the book 
of Genesis. The scripture informs us, that God 
commanded the earth to produce a variety of fruits 
and plants for the nourishment of its inhabitants : 
covenanting, on his part, to send refreshing rains 
and convenient seasons. But, we do not live, ex- 
claims a rational farmer, in the season of miracles, 
nor am I enthusiastic enough to expect, that rain 
shall be sent upon the earth. Mention indeed is 
rpade in ancient history, of the former and the lat- 
tt-v rain, ; and the books which speak of these fruc- 
g ishowersj and promise a continuance of them 






TH£ PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 32-7 

t© the latest posterity are undoubtedly authentic : 
nevertheless, all the rain we can now reasonably ex- 
pect, must Bow from these bocks alone, and from 
those speculations, which our reason can make upon 
they contain. Who will not smile ai such 
a method of reasoning as this : 

In the ■ £S, which respect our temporal inte- 

rests, we are not stupid enough to be deluded by 
-imsj though we frequently de- 
ceive both ourselves and others, with regard to 
spiritual things, by a ents no less palpably ab- 

.1. Gc : the orthodox professor, undoubt- 

Sun of righteousness so effectually 
to shine upon h , on the day of Pentecost, 

were instantaneously baptized ;i with the 
h me." A celestial shower, at 
thai the church : and the mystic 

on a sudden, by the direct rays of so 
miliary, was assisted to produce, inter- 
the graces^, and externally, all the fruits, 
. it. But some extraordinary phenomena, 
dazzling Si I those | 

^appeared. Nay, that 
:lip ed, with respect to us ; and 
.: the constant imlu- 
j-un, .and the enchess duration of those 
rs, now absolutely stands in the place of both, 
". shall they be called enthu* 
..surdities as these I Then fa- 
naticism may he said to consist m making a rational 
tween the pearl of price, and the 

testament that bequeaths it : between that sacred vc- 
the Cc - is merely promised, and 

the actual presence of that C&mfz ter in t irt. 

To that we have no longer any need of the 

Spirit of Christ, because we are in pos - of an 

incomparable book, which declares, that a if any 
n have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his :' J 
ii not this t« destroy, at once, both the letter and Spi- 



35$ THE PORTRAIT OT ST. PAUL. 

Tit of the Gospel ? And when we see those christians, 

who profess the utmost respect for revelation, deriding, 
without fear, the manifestation of that Spirit, by 
which alone " the love of God'' can be " shed abroad 
in cur hearts :" what judgment can we form of such 
persons, but that they are disposed to treat the Gospel 
of our glorified Master, as Judas once treated its per- 
secuted author ? whatever air of devotion they may 
assume, while they salute the exterior of it, their se- 
cret intention is to betray the very life of the Gospel to 
derision and infamy. By arguments of this nature it 
is, that christian ministers are frequently obliged to 
defend the dispensation of the Spirit, from the outra- 
geous attacks of carnally-minded christians. 

But there are times, in which the faithful pastor 
finds it equally necessary, to defend this part of his 
doctrine against high and fanatical professors* In 
every christian country there are not wanting such as 
have rendered the dispensation of the Spirit contemp- 
tible, by their ridiculous and impious pretensions. 
Protestants have blushed for the prophets of Ceven- 
nes, and Catholics for the convulsionaries of Paris, in 
order successfully to oppose the progress of enthusi- 
asm, he publicly contrasts the two different characters 
of a presumptuous fanatic, and an enlightened chris- 
tian, in some such terms as follow. The one extin- 
guishes the torch of reason, that he may have opportu- 
nity to display, in its room, the vain flashes of his own 
pretended inspirations : the other entertains a just re- 
spect for reason, following it as the surest guide, so far 
as it is able to direct him in the search of truth ; and 
whenever he implores a superior light, it is merely to 
supply the defects of reason. The one destroys the 
clear sense of Scripture language, that a way may be 
made for his own particular manifestations : the other 
refers everything " to the Law, and to the Testimony, 5 * 
fully satisfied, that if high pretenders to sanctity " speak 
not according to this word, it is because there is no 
light in them." The former flatters himself, that 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. i\\UL. 329 

while the means are neglected the end may be ob- 
tained, presuming that God will illuminate him in a 
miraculous manner without the help of prayer, study, 
meditation, sermons, or sacraments ; the latter unpre- 
sumingly expects the succours of grace , in a constant 
use of the appointed means ; and conscious, that " the 
Holy Scriptures are able to make him wise unto sal- 
vation," he takes them for the subject of his frequent 
meditation, the ground of his prayers, and the gene- 
ral rule of his conduct. The fanatic imagines him- 
self independent of superior powers both in church 
and state : the real christian, a constant friend to truth 
and order, looking upon himself as the servant of all, 
not only acknowledges the respect due to his superi- 
ors, but is ready to give them an account either of his 
faith or his conduct, with meekness and submission ; 
anxious to have his principles supported by appeals 
to the reason and conscience of his adversaries, as well 
as by the testimony of revelation. The fanatic pays 
but little regard to the inestimable grace of charity : 
like Simon the sorcerer, he aspires after the extraor- 
dinary gifts of the Spirit, and seduced by a vain im- 
gination, forsakes the substance that he may pursue 
the shadow :....the true christian without despising the 
most ^inconsiderable spiritual gifts, implores only 
those, which may assist him in the discharge of his 
several duties, and peculiarly that of charity , which is 
to be ranked as high above the performance of mira- 
cles, as miracles are to be esteemed above the tricks of 
jugglers. The fanatic conceives himself to be ani- 
mated by the Spirit of God, when his body is agitated 
by a rapid motion of the animal spirits, excited by the 
sallies of an over heated imagination, and augmented 
by hysterical or hypochondriacal vapours :....The ju- 
dicious christian detests this enthusiam, which, cover- 
ing religion with a vail of delusion and frenzy, renders 
it contemptible in the eyes of those, who are ever 
ready to treat devotion as enthusiasm. 

EC 2 



o5U THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

When the true minister unhappily falls among 
persons who evidence a disposition to enthusiasm, 
carrying mortification to an unwarrantable excess, pub- 
licly uttering loud and passionate prayers, produced 
with the most violent efforts ; he calls their attention 
to that beautiful passage in the history of Elijah, 
where God is represented as manifesting himself, nei- 
ther in the wind, the earthquake, nor the fire ; but in a 
still small voice. To inspire them with a just horror 
for this kind of fanaticism, he points them to those 
contemptible characters whose conduct they are un* 
wittingly copying, and exhorts them to leave the hor- 
rible custom of crying with a loud voice, together with 
every other species of religious extravagance, to the 
superstitious priests of Baal. If it be necessary, he 
even applies those sarcastic expressions of Elijah, cry 
aloud, he. In performing this part of his duty, he is 
anxious, however, to act with the utmost discretion ; 
not ridiculing the fanatical with an irreverent light- 
ness, but exhorting, them with all possible affection 
and solemnity. It appears from the writings of St. 
Paul, that enthusiasm had once risen to so great a 
height in the Corinthian church, that the communion 
was polluted by the members of that church, and its 
public ordinances thrown into the utmost disorder. 
Now, if the Apostle had himself been an enthusiast, 
he would have seen these disorders without regret ; 
or had he been like the ministers of the present day, 
he would have rejoiced at the pretext afforded him by 
the fanatical Corinthians, for turning into ridicule de- 
votion and zeal, the power of prayer and the gift of 
exhortation. But,, equally attached both to order and 
zeal, he wrote to them in the following terms : " I 
would, that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that 
ye prophesied : for he that prophesieth edifieth the 
church. Forasmuch," then, < as ye are zealous of 
spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying 
©f the church. Brethren, be not children" in under- 






THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 331 

standing, but men. Ye may all prophecy, that all 

- learn, and all may be comforted." And observe 
this, that " the spirits of the prophets are subject to 
the prophets : for God is not the author of confusion, 
but of peace, as in all churches of the saints. If any 
man think himself to be a Prophet, or spiritual, let him 
acknowledge, that the things I write unto you are the 
commandments of the Lord. Let all things be done 
decently and in order." It is by adopting the method 
of this Apostle, that the good pastor endeavours to 
root up the tares of enthusiasm, without injuring the 
invaluable grain of devotion. 

Here it may, perhaps, be enquired, if particular 
manifestations of the Spirit are admitted^ how is it 
possible to shot the door against dangerous illu- 
sions ? Would it not be wiser entirely to reject the 
dispensation of the Spirit, while it is confessedly at- 
tended with so many difficulties I And would it not 
make for the happiness of the church, was every 
member of it to rest contented with having the holy 
scriptures explained according to the best rules of 
reason and criticism? We answer; by 410 means. 
Bad money, indeed, is frequently put into our hands ; 
but is it necessary, on this account, to obstruct the 
free course of that which is intrinsically good \ And 
would it be reasonable to refuse a sovereign prince 
the right of coining for the state, lest that coin 
should be counterfeited or defaced I As, in so- 
ciety, after warning the public of their danger, 
we content ourselves w r ith apprehending the man, 
who attempts to impose on us in this way ; so we 
may rest fully satisfied with adopting the same mode 
of conduct, in regard to the church of God, 

Let it be here observed, that the operations of 
the Holy Spirit upon the hearts of believers, are to 
be distinguished from the effects of enthusiasm in 
the imagination of visionaries, just as readily as we 

Lnguish health from sickness^ wisdom from folly, 
truth from falsehood. The believers of Rome 



331 TME PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL* 

could say, " The Spirit itself beareth witness with 
our spirit, that we are the children of God. By one 
spirit are we all baptized," say the Corinthians, 
" and have been made to drink into one Spirit." 
And St. Paul could testify, that many of the Ephe* 
sians were " sealed, by the Holy Spirit of God, un- 
to the day of redemption.'* They were all enthu- 
siasts, says a modern Doctor, unless they could re- 
store sight to the* blind, raise the dead from their 
graves, and^ fluently coBverse in a variety of lan- 
guages, which they had never taken the trouble to 
study. No ; insinuates the Apostle : you forget 
the "essential" for the " accessory," and found your 
systems upon false suppositions. " Are all workers 
of miracles ? Have all the gifts of healing ? Do all 
speak with tongues?" There must, then, be some 
more indubitable method of distinguishing those, 
whose bodies are become temples of the Holy 
Ghost ; and " I shew unto you this more excel- 
lent way*" What was meant by this u excellent 
way," may be satisfactorily discovered by an atten- 
tive perusal of the following chapter ; in which the 
Apostle would have the examination to turn, not 
upon the gift of prophecy and much less that of 
languages, but essentially upon all the characters of 
charity. This was the reasoning of Augustine, as 
well as of St. Paul, when he made use of the follow- 
ing expression ; " You then speak from the Spirit of 
"God, when you speak from a heart glowing with 
u love*" This also was the method, in which Christ 
himself was accustomed to argue on this point. 
" Beware," said he, u of false prophets. Every 
good tree bringeth forth good fruit. Wherefore, 
by their fruits ye shall know them." And, " the 
fruit of the Spirit," continues St. Paul, " is love, joy, 
peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 
meekness, temperance." Now fanaticism was ne- 
ver known to bear such fruits as these. On the con- 
trary, it produces divisions, foolish joy, or stupid 



THE PORTRAIT OY ST. PAUL< 



si 



melancholy, trouble, impatience, fury, vain confi- 
dence) arrogance, and excess of different kinds. 

y, it is frequently observed to produce assertions 
diametrically opposite both to scripture and reason, 
together with absurd pretensions to new revelations. 

It may be asked, in this place, with a shew of 

:on, If Christ still continues to reveal himself, 
by his Spirit, to every true believer, are not such 
manifestations to be considered as so many new re- 
velations ? To this we reply that when the Apostle 
of the Gentiles petitioned for his E in converts, 

irit of wisdom and revelation,' 3 he was not 
to be understood as requesting that Gcd wc 
communicate to them a new Gospel ; but rather 
that He would assist them to discover all the glory, 
and experience all the power, of that inestimable 
Gospel, which had been already published among 
them, " Open mine eyes," said David, "that I 
may behold wondrous things out of thy Law," And 

m God was graciously pleased to answer this 
prayer of the royal Prophet, He undoubtedly visited 
him with the illumination of his Holy Spirit. But 
that Spirit was imparted, not for the purpose of re- 
vealing to him a new Law, but merely that he might 
be enabled to fathom the depths of that holy Law, 
which had been given long before. Thus also chris- 
tian believers- are constantly offering up their joint 

plications, that God would strengthen them " by 
his Spirit in the inner man," not ibr the experience 
of new revelations, but " that they may been abied to 
comprehend, with all saints, the unsearchable love 
of Christ ; and be filled with all the fulness of 
God." 

After having defended internal Christianity sgainst 
carnal christians, and deluded fanatics the faithful pas- 
tor is obliged, on another part, to resist the attacks of 
gain-saying philosophers. And this he endeavours to 
do, by reasoning with them upon this important sub- 
ject in the following manner*. 



334 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL 

We consider the Supreme Being, as a divine Sun, 
whose centre is every where, and whose circumference 
is no where : a Sun, whose light is truth, and whose 
heat is charity. The truths of Christianity we consider, 
as so many beams issuing from this glorious Sun for 
the illumination of the soul: and as the rays ofthe na- 
tural sun, may be collected and rendered more power- 
ful by the interposition of a properly constructed me- 
dium, so the rays of this divine Sun are concentred, 
and rendered more operative by the humanity of 
Christ. When any of these rays, passing through 
the understanding, begin to strike forcibly upon the 
heart, they melt down its stubbornness, refine its nature, 
and kindle in it a fire of love to God and man. Fur* 
tlier ; we believe these changes to be effected in the soul 
by that secret energy , which is called by many "' the 
inspiration of the Holy Spirit,' 5 by some the u influ- 
ence" of that Spirit, and bv others " the grace of 
God." 

Is there any absurdity in this doctrine ? Can the 
intellectual world be supposed to merit the Creator's 
attention, in a less degree than the material world . ? If 
the rays of light, that incessantly issue from the sun, 
are supposed to pass through the space of many mil- 
lions of miles in a single moment, for the illumina- 
tion and support of the material world ; should it 
appear incredible, that the most speedy and affec- 
tual succours may be imparted to holy souls, by 
that more glorious Sun, which enlightens and vi- 
vifies the intellectual world? From the cedar of Le- 
banon, to the moss that covers its bark, no plant can 
vegetate ; from the astronomer, who measures the 
heavens, to the animalcule that loses itself in thg 
cup of a violet as in a vast abyss, not a creature can 
exist, but through the all pervading influence of the 
natural sun. Beneath this wonderful star, not a 
single animal is found, which carries in itself its 
grand principle of light, heat, and motion. And if all 
organized bodies depend upon thii indescribable In- 



•£#*£ FORTRAN OF ST. PAUL. 335 

minary for their existence, their encrease, and their 
perfection ; may we not reasonably argue from the 
rules of analogy, that as certainly as there is a spi- 
ritual world so there must be a spiritual Sun, which 
carries life and light to the inhabitants of that 
World? 

Do you act in a rational manner, continues the 
true minister, if, because you cannot comprehend 
how this Sun may be said to act upon spirits, you 
shut your eyes against his light, and obstinately deny 
his very existence ? Can you comprehend how the 
material sun, without suffering any decay in him- 
self is continually darting around him rays sufficient 
to illumine and cheer revolving worlds? Can you ex- 
plain, how these rays are impelled, with such amaz- 
ing velocity, through the immense space, by which 
that sun is separated from those worlds ? Or can you 
describe the means, by which they awaken, in us the 
sensation of sight ? Moreover, is it not absurd to sup- 
pose, that the Almighty is more solicitous, that we 
should perceive the difference between white and 
black, than that we should discover the more im- 
portant distinctions between virtue and vice, truth 
and error? 

If you object, that the material sun is plainly 
perceived, and the power of his beams universally 
felt, by mankind ; it may be replied, that he is not 
always discoverable. Sometimes he is eclipsed ; 
frequently he is enveloped with thick clouds ; and 
at other times his rays glance upon us in so oblique 
a, manner, that their influence is scarcely perceptible : 
it is possible also to exclude his light by means of 
curtains or walls, and the cataract effectually op- 
poses his most direct beams. In the moral world 
there are obstacles of a similar nature, which fre- 
quently obstruct the course of celestial light. Clouds 
of error and vice are constantly rising around us, 
which by obscuring the Sun of righteousness, 
leave room for the incredulous to doubt of his exist- 



336 'PUS PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

ence. The eye is, in general, so much dazzled 
with the glare of material objects, that it cannot dis- 
cover the lustre of a different light. Sometimes 
invincible prejudice, like a confirmed cataract, in- 
tercepts the strongest rays of truth : and, at other 
times, we are so closely shut up within the narrow 
limits of ^elf-love, that the most piercing beams of 
uncreated love, cannot penetrate into our gloomy re- 
tirement, where that spark of reason, which might 
have directed us to a higher light, is at length totally 
extinguished. 

The light of the Gospel is never absolutely reject- 
edjbut through the influence of sin, according to those 
words of Christ : " Every one, that doth evil hateth 
the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds 
should be reproved.' ' And here we see the cause, 
^hy so many persons cast themselves headlong into 
materialism, denying the inspiration of the Holy- 
Spirit, and treating every impression of his power 
as the workings of a disordered brain. But as the 
testimony of blind men, can never persuade a rea- 
sonable person, that he is under a delusion, while 
he sees, feels, and admires,, the material sun ; so the 
joint testimony of all the incredulous men in the 
world, may justly be counted of as little force, when 
they would prove scriptural illumination to be 
downright fanaticism. Notwithstanding all the im- 
potent arguments that can be brought against 
him, the christian believer deserves not to be es- 
teemed an enthusiast, when he declares that " faith 
is the evidence of things not seen ;" since he has 
reason and revelation to plead in his favour, his own 
experience, and that of his brethren, together with 
the universal testimony of the primitive church. 

As you do not rank with professed atheists, it 
is probable that you do sometimes pray to the Su- 
preme Being. Among other blessings, you implore 
of him in a peculiar manner, patience to sustain 
those afflictions, which are necessary to the perfection 



THE PORTRAIT O? ST. PAUL. 357 

of virtue. Now if you are persuaded, that God is 
able not only to hear, but to strengthen you with 
his might: and, further, if you believe that, when 
he thus strengthens you for the day of affliction, you 
shall have any perception of his influencing power; 
we are then perfectly agreed* But if you pray, with- 
out a confidence that God attends to your prayer, 
and without ever expecting to receive the assistance 
you implore of Him, you act like persons deprived 
of their reasoning powers : with the fear of praying 
like enthusiasts, you pray after the manner of idi- 
ots, and afford as manifest a token of extravagant 
folly, as though you should intreat tempests to 
grow calm, or beseech rivers to return to their sour- 
ces. It is by such a method cf reasoning, the true 
minister resists the attacks of prejudiced philoso- 
phers, solicitous to make it appear, that the sanctify- 
ing and consoling operations of the Holy Spirit are 
as conformable to reason, as they are correspondent 
to our urgent necessities. 

But, if it still be urged by the enemies of inspi- 
ration, that we have no distinct idea of the manner, 
in which any knowledge is conveyed to the soul, ex- 
cept by means of our reason, or our senses ; and 
that to speak of things, which will admit of no clear 
explanation, is running into the wildest enthusi- 
asm. No, returns the faithful pastor : it is not usual 
to esteem that man an enthusiast, who is employed 
in bestowing alms upon the poor, though he can nei- 
ther explain to us, how his gold was produced in 
the mine, how his will actuates his hand, or how the 
feelings of charity are excited in his bosom. If na- 
ture operates every thing in a mysterious manner, it 
is unreasonable to expect, that the operations of grace 
should be conducted in a less mysterious way. This 
is one of the arguments proposed by. our Lord to Ni- 
codemus. " Except a man be born of the Spirit, he 
cannot enter into the Kingdom of God." But, it 
may be, you have no comprehension of spiritual 

if 



338 THE PORTRAIT OF ST, PAUL. 

things ; marvel not, however, at this; since there are 
many things above thy comprehension in the natu- 
ral world. " The wind bloweth where it listeth, 
and thou nearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell ? 
whence it cometh and whither it goeth ; so is every 
one that is born of the Spirit:" they prove the opera- 
tions of that Spirit by incontestable effects, though 
they are unacquainted with many things, respecting 
the manner in which those effects are produced. 

We may here very properly apply what professor 
Vernet has said, concerning the manner in which 
God has frequently manifested the truth to his Pro- 
phets. " It is easy to conceive, " says this judicious 
divine, " that He who created the soul as well as the 
" body, and who for that reason is called the Father 
f* of Spirits, can never be at a loss for adequate means 
" of communicating to us, when he judges it neces- 
" sary, ideas and discoveries wholly different from 
« those, which we are able to acquire either by our 
" own powers, or through the assistance of other 
" persons. If the most ignorant classes of men are 
" acquainted with the art of reciprocally communi- 
" eating their thoughts to each other ; how much 
^ more may we imagine, that God is able to act upon 
« the soul, both externally and internally ; he, who 
« has already placed within us some confused no- 
« tions of primitive truth ; he, who holds second 
•■" causes in his hand, and animates all nature." 

But if it be asked, are not Prophets properly so 
called, the only persons whom God is pleased to 
privilege with such impressions as are formed by 
the seal of his Spirit ? It might with equal propriety, 
be enquired, whether the Apostles alone were privi- 
leged with that evangelical faith, which respects in- 
visible and incomprehensible things ? " A soul," 
says the illustrious Crousaz, " upon which the Spi- 
« rit of God has moved; muses upon her Creator with 
" ineffable delight, and contemplates her Redeemer 
« with a mixture of gratkude, admiration, and trans- 






THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 339 

44 port. O my God ! such a soul is incessantly cry- 
u ing out, when shall I see thy face ? When shall 
44 thy light illuminate me without any darkening 
44 cloud ( To approach Thee is my only happiness. 
44 Happy they who praise thee without ceasing." 

44 I acknowledge," continues this christian philo- 
sopher, " that these may be the natural effects of 
44 that attention, with which the Spirit of God has 
44 graciously fixed our minds upon those objects, 
44 which revelation presents to our view, and upon 
44 which it directs us to occupy our thoughts. But 
" I am not afraid of going beyond the truth, when 
44 I add, that the Spirit of God by his own immeci- 
44 ate agency, may inspire the scul with this sacred 
44 taste and these exalted sentiments. Corporeal ob- 
44 jects act upcn the organs oi- sense by a power, 
u which they undoubtedly receive from God. This 
44 may, in some measure, be understood : but in 
44 what manner their action passes from thence upon 
44 the soul, is a mystery too obscure to admit of an 
k * explanation. Christian philosophers have ccn- 
44 ceived, that the will of God, and some established 
44 order of his appointment, are the only causes of 
44 those internal sentiments, of which these impres- 
;> sions upon the outward organs are but the occa- 
44 siom This being the case, under what pretext 
44 can we refuse to believe, that the Spirit of God 
44 may give rise to such sentiments in the soul, as 
44 are abundantly more conformable to the nature of 
4; their holy cause, than those ordinary sentiments, 
"which are, nevertheless, referred to \hc wiil of 
44 God, as their first and true cause ? Such are those 
44 sentiments, which St. Paul so e ited 

44 for his followers at Ephesus, and Lor the increase 
44 of which, he implored upon them the influence of 
44 the Holy Spirit." 

Such are also those impressions, motions, and 
aids of the Holy Spirit, both mediate and immedi- 
ate, for which we offer up so many ardent supplica- 



34© THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

tions in different parts of our public service- Every 
christian liturgy is filled with petitions of this na- 
ture ; petitions, which are conformable to the prin- 
ciples of Christianity, the voice of reason* and the 
necessities of sinful men, though they usually ap- 
pear to the children of this world, as the mere unin- 
telligible jargon of enthusiasm* The minister, who 
strictly follows the example of St. Paul in this re- 
spect, will most probably be regarded as a visionary 
by the ignorant and the profane : but, while he 
breaths out these ardent prayers, in humble faith, 
accompanying them with those discourses and that 
conduct, which are correspondent to such requests ; 
he has, at least, a satisfactory consciousness, that he 
has never practised the arts of an impostor with the 
liturgy in his hand, nor played the part of a comedian 
in a christian pulpit. 

As to the real advantages, which would fiow from 
our doctrine of the dispensations, though they have 
been adverted to in various passages of this -work, yet 
it appears not unnecessary to take a transient review of 
them in this place. 

1. By an accurate acquaintance with these dispen- 
sations,' every evangelical preacher may become " an 
approved workman, rightly dividing the word of 
truth ;" and a " faithful servant," distributing to every 
domestic of his Master's household, that peculiar por- 
tion of spiritual food, which is suited to their several 
circumstances. 

2. By exactly dividing the dispensations of grace, 
we are enabled to mark out the boundaries, of those 
particular states, which believers of different classes 
are observed to enjoy. We ascertain that degree of 
spiritual life, to which we ourselves have attained : we 
distinguish the various graces bestowed upon us : we 
discover whatever great promise is still before us, and 
solicit, without ceasing, the complete accomplishment 
of that promise. He, who preaches the Gospel, with- 
out tracing out the lines which separate the three dis- 



THE PORTRAIT OT ST. PAUL. 341 

pensations of grace, may be said to exhibit a c 
upon which the hours are unmarked I :: ~ i 

little else than confusion, if not dangerous mistakes, 
can be expected to flow. 

3. By the light of this doctrine, true worshippers 
of every different class, may be taught to acinic 
and esteem one another, according to their different de- 
grees of faith. Nothing is more common in a christian 
country, than to seethe rigidly orthodox, unchai 

. as hopeless outcasts, not only those virtuous 
deists, who are yet unacquainted with the Son. hut 
even those pious socinians, who are resting s. 
with Qorlorious state, in which the first ciiscioles 

of our Lord were so long detained ; and who are un- 
able to acknowledge any more than his humanity. 
Let these orthodox professors become a: h w ith 

the various dispensations of grace, and, erasing to of- 
fend, either virtuous deists or pious socinians, with 
their furious anathemas; they will treat the former 

b all the benevolence, which St. Peter once ex- 
pressed toward Cornelius, una the latter i ; :" hat bro- 
il Aquila m : in his car- 
riage toward Apollos. On the ether hand, if those 

Istians, who are yet carnal, had any proper idee 
these different dispensations; if they could out be- 
lieve, that the same Jesus who was once cur a; 
manifested among the Jews, still cc: ies .: mani- 
fest himself in the Spirit, through every part 

rid, to these who are anxiously ato the 

Kingdom of God : if they could admit hut in tl eery, 

: eminei I . ace, u ey ~ ~ til : no 

o w\ : ; 
race of the Spiri re J ... 

So long as lorious i 10b- 

scurity, so long we may expect to : .. a a " ris- 

tians the most unfriendly disputes : 
never again may kindle ' . z 5 for theii 

destruction, yet bitter words in 
ihero, like so many inven 

r f 2 



o42 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

nue to declare, that war is in their hearts. Those who 
imagine themselves in possession of the purest chris- 
tian faith, will treat others, who indulge different senti- 
ments, as infidels and heretics ; while these in return, 
will stigmatize their uncharitable brethren with the 
opprobrious epithets of enthusiast and fanatic. But 
when every minister of the Gospel, enlightened with 
truth and glowing with charity, faithfully conduct the 
flock of Christ from grace to grace, and from strength 
to strength, then the foremost of that Hock shall mani- 
fest their religious superiority, by giving proofs of the 
most unfeigned affection toward the meanest and most 
infirm of their spiritual companions. Copying the hum- 
ble courtesy of St. Paul, these unpresuming elders .will 
cry out, among their younger brethren ; « Let us, as 
many as be like-minded, forgetting those things that 
are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which 
are before, press 55 earnestly " toward the mark, for the 
prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus : and 
if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, 5 ' that perfect 
charity which hopeth all things, engages us to believe, 
that " God shall reveal even this unto you. Never- 
theless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk 
by the same rule, let us. mind the same things " 

It may not be amiss to conclude these remarks 
•upon the three grand dispensations of grace, by ob- 
serving? how imperfect worshippers deceive tiiem- 
selves, while they refuse to proceeed from faith 
to faith. It is -the opinion of many sincere deists, 
who are zealous for the dispensation of the Father, 
that were they to embrace the dispensation of the 
Son, they must necessarily detract from the honour 
due to the incomprehensible God. This prejudice, 
however, evidently flows from the want of spiritual dis- 
cernment ; since the holy Scriptures instruct us, that, 
•when " at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, and 
every tongue confess, that he is Lord of Heaven and 
earth, 5 ' such religion- adoration shall be considered as 
ultimately heightening " the glory of God the Fa- 






THE FORTS AIT OF ST. PAUL. 343 

ther." Nov,- if the Father leads us to the Son, by the 
dawnings of his grace, as we are taught by the follow- 
ing passages...." No man can come unto me, except 
the lathe; draw him. Simon Feter said, Thou art 
Christ the Son of the living God : Jesus answered 
him. Blessed art thou Simon Barjona : for flesh and 
blood i : revealed it unto thee, but my Father 

which is in heaven: it is equally certain, that, when 
we come to Christ, he teaches us both to know and 
worship the Father. Observe the language of our 
Lord, with respect to thk point. " I am the way, the 
truth, and the life : no man cometh unto the Father, 
but by me. Father, glorify thy Son, that thy Son 
also may glorify Thee. This is life eternal, that they 
might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ 
whom thou hast sent. Righteous Father, the world 

i net known thee ; but I have known thee, and 

:2 have known that thou "hast sent me," to make 
an open display of thy glory upon earth. " I have de- 
clared unto them thy name, and I will declare it," 
yet more perfectly. From these passages it evidently 

cars, that the faith of the Son can never possibly 

- from that profound veneration, which is 

due to the Father. And what is here observed relative 

to the faith of the Son, is no less true with regard to 

th of the Koly Spirit. For if, under the dispen- 

:f Jesus, ^~e learn to address " our Father, who 

is in Heaven," with a d'~^a of r imble confidence, it 

is only under the d don of the Spirit, that we are 

oled to make a dresses wifli all that filial re- 

verence and that lively fervour, which the Gospel re- 
quires. This " spirit of adoption," by witnessing " with 
our spirit that we arc -n of God " assists us 

to bow before our celestial Parent, with that ineffable 
Deration and love, which are due to the Supreme 
Being. If philosophers would duly reflect upon these 
important truths, they would no longer tremble under 
the vain apprehension of be idolaters and tri- 

theists, by admitting the doctrines of the Gospel. On 



344 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

the contrary, we might indulge a hope, that these 
proud reasoners would one day be seen, in company 
with humble believers, approaching the God of their 
Fathers, through the intercession of the Son, and 
with the energy of the Holy Spirit ; crying out, with 
St. Paul : " There is one God, and one Mediator be- 
tween God and man, the man Christ Jesus ; and 
through him we have access, by one Spirit, unto the 
Father." 

There is another class of worshippers, who are 
zealous for the dispensation of the Son, and *who, 
wholly taken up with the " word manifested in the 
flesh," imagine that his dispensation is rendered con- 
temptible, if it be represented merely as the commence- 
ment of Christianity, while the perfection of the Gos- 
pel is declared to consist in the dispensation of the 
Iioly Spirit. To the consideration of such, we would 
propose the following expression of St. Paul ; " Hence- 
forth, know we no man after the flesh: yea, though 
we have known Christ after the flesh, yet, henceforth 
know we him no more," after this manner. And 
though our Lord is acknowledged to have spoken on 
this wise, " whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my 
blood, hath eternal life ; and I will raise him up at 
the last day : for my flesh is meat indeed, and my 
blood is drink indeed". ...yet, it must likewise be con- 
fessed, that he immediately added, It is the Spirit, that 
quickeneth ; the flesh pronteth nothing." 

The following observations, it is hoped, will en- 
tirely dissipate the fears of these pious persons. 
" When the Spirit of truth is come," saith our Lord, 
" he will guide you into all truth ; and especially into 
those truths, which respect faith toward me, and re-, 
pentance toward my Father. " He shall glorify me : 
for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew unto you," 
the merits of my righteousness, the efficacy of my 
death, and the power of my Gospel. " The Father, 
shall give you another Comforter, whom ye" already 
" know" in part ; " for he dwelleth with you/' evea 






THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PALL, o>D 

now in my bodily presence : but. hereafter, He " shall 
be in you," when I shall have baptized you with the Holy 
Ghost sent down from Heaven. " I will not leave you 
comfortless : I will come unto you. The world seeth 
me no more ; but ye shall see me," in the effects of 
my indwelling power : and u because I live, ye shall 
also. At that, day, ye shall know, that I am in 
my Father, and ye in me, and I,' 5 by my spirit, " in 
you." This spiritual abode of Christ in the souls of 
is the most glorious mystery of the Gospel ; 

. " if any man have not the -Spirit of Christ/ 5 he is 
but a disciple either of Moses, or of John the 
Baptist : he is not in a spiritual, but in a carnal 
state. 

M I live: yea not I, but Christ liveth in me. Christ 

is our lire. The mystery, which hath been hid from 

ages, is Christ in you the hope of glory. My little 

*n, of whom I travail in birth, until Christ be 

med in you. These." with a thousand other scrip- 
tural expressions, must be utterly incomprehensible to 
those, who, resting contented with a literal knowledge 
incarnate word, admit not the internal manifes- 

sn of Christ by his spirit of revelation, wisdom, and 
power. i; The deep things of God are revealed unto 
us by his Spirit : and, without this Spirit, we must 
continue strangers to the most exalted truths of the 
Gospel and be cut off from the purest springs of reli- 
gious consolation. " This is he," saith St. John, " that 
came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ : not by 
water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spi- 
rit, that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth." 
As though the Apostle should say ; Christ indeed, in 
the first part of his ministry, proclaimed that repent- 
rd God, which his own disciples, as well as 
John the Baptist, were accustomed to seal with a bap- 
tism of water. And to this sacred ceremony he him- 
self condescendingly submitted. But, after this, he pro- 
ceeded further, when, as a visible Saviour, he sealed 
his -pensation of grace with a baptism of blood 



346 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

upon the cross. Moreover, it is the Spirit, that gives 
testimony to the unsearchable truths of the Gospel, 
by his still more excellent baptism : deepening our 
repentance toward God, and adding a tc full assurance" 
to our faith in Jesus Christ. Let no one then suspect, 
that the manifestation of the Spirit must necessarily 
obscure the glory of the Son ; especially since it is ex- 
pressly declared," that no man can say, that Jesus is 1 
the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost." 

Before we close thi? section, we have to lament, 
that this important part of the Gospel is rarely pub- 
lished among professing christians* The greater part 
of the clergy are to be ranked with the most violent 
opposers of spiritual religion. They insult its follow- 
ers, they condemn its advocates unheard, and presump- 
tuously " speak evil of those things which they know 
not." As there was a time, in which the Jewish 
church overlooked the most important promise under 
the dispensation of the Father; so k was intimated 
that a time would come, in which the christian church, 
sunk into a state of listlessness and incredulity, should 
neglect the grand promise under the dispensation of 
the Son. " When the Son of man cometh," saith 
our Lord, " shall he find faith on the earth?" He will 
find little indeed, if we may either rely upon our own 
observations, or give credit to the most solemn asser- 
tions of a predicting Apostle. 

All our ecclesiastics, however, are not of this de- 
scription. Among the thousands of this sacred order, 
we find many, who are possessed of godly fear, scrip- 
tural faith, and christian charity. These pious evan- 
gelists are anxious for the salvation of those commit- 
ted to their charge. They labour to spread the King- 
dom of God among men, though they have never ex- 
perienced that kingdom according to the fulness of 
the promise. And though they are unacquainted 
with the abundant plenitude of the Gospel, yet they 
cease not to publish that Gospel abroad with affection 
and zeal. They preach the cross of Christ : but they 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 347 

proclaim not the spiritual coming of a risen Saviour, 
As their careless brethren refuse to publish the coming 
of the Spirit, through infidelity and prejudice, so these 
upright ministers neglect to preach it, through uncer- 
tainty and irresolution. If they even entertain a just 
opinion of the doctrine for which we plead, yet they 
are restrained from speaking frequently and freely 
upon the subject, because, as many false christians 
have rendered the dispensation of the Son contemptible 
in the eyes of deists ; so many vainly -inspired zealots 
have caused the dispensation of the Spirit to appear 
ridiculous before sober-minded christians. But, not- 
withstanding the reproach, which many fanatics, of 
various sects, have brought upon this sublime part of 
the Gospel, by mingling with it the reveries of an 
heated imagination, yet it will constantly be regarded, 
by every well-instructed christian, as the quintessence 
of our holy religion. 

There appears little probability, that this neglected 
doctrine will be either universally received or preached, 
in our degenerate day. But as truth has never been 
left entirely destitute of witnesses, and as the gene- 
rality of ministers have still courage enough to main- 
tain, before an unbelieving^ world, the dispensation of the 
Son ; we may reasonably hope, thattbey will continue 
to mention the dispensation of the Spirit, at least, on 
every commemoration of the pentecostal glory. By 
this means we may preserve among us a precious 
spark of sacred fire, till our returning Lord, bursting 
through the clouds of incredulity, shall kindle the 
spark into an everlasting flame. In that day, the idle 
pretensions of enthusiasts shall no more influence be- 
lievers to reject the Holy Spirit, than the vain preten- 
sion of those false Christs who formerly appeared 
among the Jews, could influence the faithful to reject 
their only Lord and Saviour. The dispensation of the 
Spirit shall then appear as glorious to the eyes of ad* 
miring christians, as the dispensation of the Son ap- 
peared to ravished Simeon : and every apostolic pas- 



548 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 

tor shall conduct his flock from the dispensation of the 
Father, through that of the Son, to that of the Holy- 
Spirit, in as rapid a manner, as St, Peter is reported to 
have done in his first discourse. 



AN 



E S 8 A Y 



ON THE 



CONNEXION OF DOCTRINES 



V/ITH 



MORALITY 



G E 



AN 

ESSAY, 8Cc. 



PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS. 

SOME divines, almost wholly occupied with 
the doctrines of the Gospel, are not sufficiently care- 
ful to insist upon morality : . while philosophers, for 
the most part, as wholly taken up with morality, treat 
the doctrines of the Gospel with neglect and disdain. 
It is to reconcile, if possible, these two mistaken classes 
of men, that a few observations are here presented 
upon the importance of such doctrines, and their im- 
mediate connexion with morality. 

Morality is the science, which regulates our man- 
ners, by teaching us to know and to follow justice, ren- 
dering to every one their due, love, honour, obedience, 
tribute, Sec. The whole of this morality is included 
in those maxims of natural and revealed religion.... 
11 Whatsoever ye would, that men should do unto you, 
dofye even so unto them. Render unto Cesar,the things, 
which are Cesar's ; and unto God, the things, which 
are God's." Hence it follows, that pure morality must 
maintain some form of divine worship. 

Some moralists, it is true, imagine it possible to 
be strictly just, without making any profession of piety. 
But if justice consists in doing that to others, which 
we desire may be done to ourselves ; it is clear, that 
every man who honours not the supreme Being must 



»52 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

be unjust as well as impious : since if we are parents 
or benefactors, we manifest so deep a sensibility of the 
* v : f our children or dependants, when they re- 
cur kindness with insolence and ingratitude. 

•__.s are, in general, precepts : but by doc- 
trines, are here, particularly, understood, those instruc- 
f h Christ and his Apostles have given, re- 

he different relations, in which we stand to 
God, and to each other, together with the various du- 
ties consequent upon such relations. 

ich instructions) as are transmitted from genera- 
te generation, under the name of maxims or doc- 
trines, whether they be true or false, have a prodigi- 
ous effect upon the conduct of those who admit them. 
In the ancient world, how many hapless infants have 
been sacrificed among the Greeks and Romans to that 

barous maxim, that fathers have the rieht Gf life 
and death over their new-born children. In the mo- 
dern world, how vast a number of unborn infants, and 
how many fanciful heroes are failing every year un- 
fortunate victims to those maxims of false honour: It 
is better to destroy the fruit of an illicit love, or to 
plunge a sword into the bosom of a friend, than to live 
without that, which constitues the honour of the sexes. 
Overturn these maxims of a false point of honour, 
and you destroy the principles, upon which a thousand 
Impious actions are committed. 

Mankind can no more divest themselves of all pre- 
possession in favour of general maxims, than they can 
lose sight of determining motives. The atheist and 
the infidel have their particular doctrines, as well as 
the just man and tile christian. The inconsistency of 
some philosophers, in this respect, is here worthy to 
be noted, who begin their discourses by decrying max- 
ims in general, and conclude them, by setting forth 
and maintaining the most dangerous doctrines. The 
road to permanent happiness, say they, is both conve- 
nient and spacious. The Almighty pays but little re- 
gard to our actions, and has endued us with passions 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 35: 

for the very purpose of gratifying them. They insi- 
nuate, that if a man is sufficiently rich to entertain a 
number of women, he may innocently enjoy whatever 
pleasure their society can afford him : and that when 
he has no longer any relish for life, he may as inno- 
cently blow out his brains. Such are the doctrines, 
and such is the morality, which many ill-instructed 
professors are preaching among us at this day ; giving 
ample testimony, that no men are more ready to set 
up for dogmatists, than those who reject the doctrines 
of the GospeL 



CHAP, I. 

PHILOSOPHERS, SO CALLED, EXALT THEMSELVES^ 
WITHOUT REASON, AGAINST THE DOCTRINES OF 
THE GOSPEL. 

AS those, who afreet exterior acts of devotion y 
are not always possessed of the most solid piety ; so 
they, who are foremost to magnify philosophy, are 
not always to be regarded as the wisest of mankind. 
It must, however, be confessed, that many christians 
have afforded philosophers too just a subject of scan- 
dal, by continually opposing faith to reason : as though, 
in order to be possessed of the richest christian grace, 
it were necessary to renounce that noble faculty, which 
chiefly distinguishes us from the brute creation. Like 
the great Apostle, we may rationally oppose faith to 
sense ; but we can never, without the highest indiscre- 
tion, oppose it to reason. We s cautious 
of s jyith M. de Voltaire and St. Louis, " Take 
bee:. v cu follow the guidance >f your weak rea- 
son/' The reason of man is ackn _ ed to be 
Weak, when compared with the intelligence of si 

ag2 



354 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 

Beings. Eut whatever its weakness may be, it be- 
comes us, with gratitude, to follow it as our guide : 
since, in a gloomy night, it is better to profit from the 
smallest taper that can be procured, than obstinately 
to shut our eyes and walk at random. If believers, 
prefer the revelation of Christ before the philosophy 
of infidels, it is because the most enlightened reason 
influences their choice. 

The true believer is not afraid of pleading against, 
modern philosophers before the tribunal of reason* 
" You accuse me," he may say, " of superstition ; 
44 because in pursuing those honours, riches and plea- 
4i sures, which are external, I have chosen the rough 
" uncomfortable path of piety. But, while I act thus, 
u I act in no less conformity to the principles. of reason, 
" than the man, who, to expel a sweet poison, receives 
" a bitter antidote, and -cheerfully submits to a dis- 
" agreeable regimen, till he is restored to perfect 
" health. If the sacrifice of a few trifling enjoyments 
" for the present, will secure to me the possession of 
" everlasting felicity, I do but imitate the prudent 
u husbandman, who deprives himself, to-day, of a 
" few bushels of grain, that after a few months of 
" patient expection, he may reap from his trivial 
44 loss an abundant harvest. And is it unreasonable in 
44 me to adept such a mode of conduct ; especially, 
" when the sweet hope of promised blessings affords 
4< me, even now, a joy as solid and constant, as yours is 
tt transitory and vain r" 

Ye men of boasted wisdom ! we dare- assert that t he- 
secret springs of your morality are weak and gross, 
in comparison with ours. You maintain, that, in or- 
der to bind a rational creature to the practice of mora- 
lity, nothing further is requisite than the consideration 
of his own interests. You affirm, moreover, with equal 
confidence, that all attempts to urge mankind to the ex- 
ercise of virtue, by the consideration of evangelical 
motives, is but depending on the force of ties, which 
are too feeble t,o be binding. But you perceive not, that 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 355 

the method upon which you proceed, with so much 
self-approbation, is entirely unworthy of true mo- 
ralists, since it merely opposes one evil, by means of 
another full as detestable, in giving that to pride, which 
it wrests from" other vicious propensities, ;> And you, 
undiscerning instructor of Emilius and Sophia i you r 
who say in your confession of faith : " Unknowing how 
to determine, I neither admit revelation, nor reject it : 
rejecting only the obligation to receive it" — ii you have 
removed those powerful motives to true virtue, which 
are drawn from the Gospel, what have you given us in 
exchange I " Love, that you may be loved again. " Be- 
" come amiable, that you may be happy. Make your- 
" self esteemed, that you may be obeyed. What 
" greater felicity can a noble soul possess, than that 
" which flows from the pride of virtue, joined with 
" beauty." How puerile and insufficient are these mc- 
u tives, when compared with those, which the Gospel 
presents 1 Leading mankind to virtue by such a route 
as this, is it not to inspire them, at once, with ail a 
pharisee's pride and a Jezebel's vanity ? 

When we draw a vail over the sublime objects of 
faith, and place before men the mere consideration of 
some present advantage, in order to influence their 
conduct ; then we actually treat the rational part of 
the creation, as we are accustomed to deal with the 
most brutish animals. Behold that swine making up 
to a heap of corn. Throw but a single hand-ful of 
that heap in his way, and he will pass no further - r 
since fifty grains of corn, scattered immediately before 
his face, will attract him more forcibly than as many 
Is piled up at a distance. Were it possible to 
make him an chcr of all the harvests in the universe, 
after a single hour; yet I [>uld not sacrifice for 

them aih the peer enjo] ment of the present moment. 
He, who thus fixes his attentio h temporal and 

sensible objects, forgefc is immaterial 

and immortal. ] . engaged to the 

..ctice of vi: .ns of ! 



S56 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

motives, may be said to infuse morality in th e cup of 
Circe, lest he should be constrained to receive it at the 
hand of Christ. 

Why are infidels and unstable christians observed 
to fall before temptation? The only reason that can 
be given is, that, being affected in too lively a man- 
ner with the things that are immediately before them, 
they are in no condition to contemplate those objects 
which are more remote, of how great importance so- 
ever they may be. Hence, the inestimable objects of 
faith appear to them, as the fixed stars discover them- 
selves to the vulgar, despoiled of their real magnitude 
and glory, and apparently of too little consequence 
to- merit much attention. With the sincere christian, 
the case is wholly different. His faith, which is a 
gift from God, may be compared to a divine teles- 
cope, by which the most distant objects are brought 
within his ken. And of this sacred help he happily 
avails himself, till wholly certified of the nature and 
importance of celestial things, ha necessarily- acquires*. 
ideas and sentiments suitable to so grand a discovery. 
Observe here the ground of St. Paul's definition of 
faith. Destitute of the same assistance, what wonder 
is it, that the infidel should remain a perfect stranger 
to the christian's sacred views and exalted sentiments! 
He foolishly rests contented with the naked eye of his 
reason, regardless of that ignorance, and those preju- 
dices, with which it is too frequently obscured. Thus, 
self-deluded, he despises the divine instrument above 
described, and scoffs at those, who are known to use 
it ; just as the illiterate were formerly accustomed 
to set at nought the most profound astronomers, 
and to look with derision upon their mysterious ap- 
paratus. 

As to the power of this faith, by which alone any 
spiritual discovery can be made, it is too wonderful to 
be credited either by the ignorant or the impious. It 
"remove;? mountains:" and, to the possessor of it, 
^Bothfag i^ impossible." It affords the believer a 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 257 

perfect victory over the present world, by putting into 
his hand a " shield," which is impenetrable to " all the 
fiery darts of the wicked." Here is the christian's se- 
curity I Behind this buckler of celestial temper, he re- 
mains in undisturbed tranquility, while the incredu- 
lous philosopher, together with the abandoned sensu- 
alist, are hurling against it the feeble darts of ridicule 
and malice. 

It must be acknowledged, that many excellent pre- 
cepts of morality are found in the Alcoran, and in the 
works of modern philosophers : but it must be assert- 
ed, at the same time, that the enemies of Christ are 
chiefly indebted to revelation for every just conception 
of religious truth. The authors of the Alcoran, of 
Emilius, and the Philosophical Dictionary, before ever 
they began to dogmatize, were apprized, that there is 
a God, whom it is our duty to love above all things, and 
who has commanded us to love our neighbour as our- 
selves. It is, therefore, matter of little surprise, that 
a lovely sentiment of this kind, should here and there 
brighten a page of their gloomy volumes. Their false 
coin could never have become current in the werid un- 
less they had artfully mingled with it some little quan- 
tity of the pure gold of scriptural truth. 

We shall conclude this chapter with a beautiful 
passage from Tertullian, in which he points out the 
difference between a true christian, and a philosopher 
so called. After having spoken of the vices, with which 
the Greek philosophers were infected, he makes the 
following reply to a very common objection : " It is cb- 
44 jected, that some also among us, are guilty of viclat- 
44 Lag the laws of virtue. But it must be remembered, 
44 that such offenders pass no longer with us for chris- 
44 tians : while among you, after the commission of 
44 many vicious actions, philosophers still preserve 
44 their reputation, and continue to be had in honour. 
44 What resemblance then is there, between the chris- 
44 tian and the philosopher ? The one is a disciple of 
44 Greece ; the other of Heaven. The one seeks to 



35$ THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

" establish a fair reputation : the other aspires to 
" work out his salvation. The one speaks admirable 
" words: the other performs good actions. The one 
" destroys, and the other builds up. The one deals 
" in error, the other in truth/' 



CHAP. II. 

THE DOCTRINES OF NATURAL RELIGION AND PHI- 
LOSOPHY ARE INSUFFICIENT TO PRODUCE TRUE 
CHARITY IN THE HEART. 

THE doctrines of natural religion, such as the 
Being of a God, an over-ruling providence, and a judg- 
ment to come, are th^ first doctrines of the Gospel: but* 
hitherto, they have never been found sufficient to lead 
men into the love and practice of solid virtue. 

As the earth, deprived of its primitive fecundity, 
requires not only, the genial influence of the sun, but 
must be enriched and assisted by many other means, 
in order to recover its lost fertility : so the truths of 
natural religion can never restore the degenerate soul 
to its lost perfection, without the powerful assistance of 
a revealed Gospel. On this account, the Father of 
mankind has condescended to instruct us in doctrines, 
more efficacious than those, which unassisted nature 
can discover, and abundantly better suited to our 
weakness : that the tree of mortality, having more 
numerous and vigorous roots, might be assisted to pro- 
duce fruit of a more exquisite flavour, and in greater 
abundance, than it formerly had done. " What the 
Law," says St. Paul, " could not do, [the natural or 
mosaic Law] in that it was weak through the flesh 
[i. e. our corrupted nature, which stands in need of 
greater helps than those, which the Law can offordl 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST* PAUL. 359 

" God sending his own Son, condemned sin in the flesh, 
that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in 
us," by a power derived from him. Hence, this pro- 
mised Saviour was spoken of as " the desire of all na- 
tions. " And hence, that public declaration of Christ 
concerning the nature of his mission to the children of 
men : « I am come that they might have life, and that 
they might have it more abundantly. 55 

Without revelation, we are left a prey to the most 
cruel uncertainty. The Almighty created man, that 
he might partake of his own felicity : and, pater hav- 
ing placed in his heart an ardent desire after the " so- 
vereign good," he made a benign discovery of Himself, 
as the u one only and inexhaustible source of t 
blessedness. 55 But, since the darkness of sin has over- 
spread our understanding, we have lost sight of this 
sovereign good, and are seeking it, where, it cannot pos- 
bly be found. Like Ixion in the fable, while we em- 
brace a cloud, we imagine ourselves in possession of a 
sublime reality. And even after repeated convictions 
of our folly, uninstructed by disappointment, w r e set 
cut again in pursuit of objects full as frivolous as those, 
by which we have been already beguiled. Philoso- 
phers 3 unable to guide mankind to true happiness, are 
vainly searching after it i ves in darkness and 

uncertainty. 1 nt© a variety of sects, they 

maintain a hundred different opinions upon a subject 
of so great importance. So l £ter all the re- 

searches of its professors, philosophy has left the 
world in a state of equal perplexity, with a man, who, 

ing but o_:=c arrow to level i ke mark, has a hun- 
dred different marks proposed to him at the same 
time. 

In all this uncertah t] Is it to discover 

a volume, \ the mom on in so 

r, that reason itself can object noth' 
•sion 1 TI is book, the most ai 
- d, informs us that Jehovah once app 

>f the faithful, " and said uj . , I 



360 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

am the mighty, all-sumcient God : walk before me, 
and be thou perfect. So, will I make my covenant 
between me and thee :" and thou shall become a joy- 
ful possessor of the sovereign good. When these truths 
are once cordially assented to, the perplexity of the 
believer is then sweetly terminated, and his high voca- 
tion completely pointed out. From this time, he feels 
the importance of those doctrines, which, like steady 
lights, eclipse a thousand glimmering meteors, and 
discover, amid' surrounding dangers, a sure though 
narrow road to happiness. And here it is to be observed, 
that upon these important truths, as well as upon every 
other essential point, christians of ominaticns 

are perfectly agreed. 

What is meant by " walking before God in perfec- 
tion," is fully explained in the following terms; u Thou 
shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart : and 
thy neighbour as thyself." Now, unregenerate man, 
far from filling up these duties, neglects the Supreme 
Being, and prefers his own particular interest, to that 
of society in general; affording the strongest proof, that 
he possesses neither genuine piety, nor un dissembled 
charity. Hence, before such a man can become truly 
virtuous, it is evident, that his principles must be im- 
proved, and his inclinations rectified. And till these 
salutary changes take place in his soul, always vicious, 
restless, and selfish, he will continually be making 
some addition to his external errors, and his internal 
misery. 

Deists, while they acknowledge, that we are bound 
to love both God and man, presume upon the siuhci- 
ency of their own power for the due performance of 
these extensive duties. Were they, however, truly 
anxious to practise il'^z^ virtues in as unreserved a 
maimer, as even m tui ^;ion requires, they would 

quickly perceive the ~- ss of humanity, and ac- 

knowle< deepest n divine assistance. But 

soibngas the piety of these x is consists in " honour- 
ing God with their lips, while their hearts are far 



THE POE.TR AIT OF ST. PATJL. 06 1 

From him :" and while they boast of manifesting toward 
mankind love so universal, that none but their ene- 
mies are excluded from it : so long, they will need no 
other assistance for the performance of these wretched 
services, than that which corrupted nature can amply 
afford. 

It is frequently asserted, that the mysteries of Re- 
demption are utterly useless with respect to morality, 
and that benignity of God, as exemplified in our crea- 
tion and the preservation, is a sufficient motive to affec- 
tion and obedience on the part of man. But since man has 
become a sinful and miserable creature, every motive 
to rectitude, that can possibly be drawn from his crea- 
tion and preservation, has lost much of its former con- 
straining influence. How many persons may we find 
in the world, who, instead of being penetrated with 
gratitude on account of these blessings, lament, with 
despairing Job and Jeremiah, that ever they were bora ! 
And when the miseries of life have rendered it almost 
insupportable, can we reasonably imagine its repin- 
ing possessor to be glowing with love to the deity, 
merely as the Author and preserver of his unhappy 
existence ? Surely nothing can be more absurd than 
such a supposition. Yet how many boasted reasoners 
confidently maintain, that the very same gift, which 
wretched sufferers in every age, have thrown back to 
the giver with anguish and contempt ; is nevertheless 
a motive sufficiently powerful, to engage every trans- 
gressor of the Almighty's Law, to love him with all 
•their heart, and serve him with all their power. 

But let us suppose that man, unassisted by the 
^doctrines of the Gospel, has some knowledge cf the 
" sovereign good," and the means by which it may be 
obtained ; yet how superficial is this knowledge ! Wc 
might here produce a gloomy catalogue of those capi- 
tal errors, into which the ancient philosophers have 
fallen, with regard to these important points. It must 
indeed, be allowed, that modern professors have cor- 
rected many of those errors : but it must be lameat- 

h h 



362. THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

ed, at the same time, that they have unhappily adopt- 
ed others, not a whit less glaring or fatal. Passing 
over, in silence, the horrible systems of atheistical 
writers-, let us listen to philosophers of greater estima- 
tion, among whom Rousseau and Voltaire may rank 
as the most conspicuous characters. The former of 
these acquired considerable reputation by his observa- 
tions upon the education of youth, and the latter, by 
the courage with which he contended for toleration. 

u Let it be laid down," says Rousseau, " as an in- 
" contestible maxim, that the first movements of na- 
" ture are always right : and that there is no such 
" thing as original sin in the human heart." How 
large a stride is here toward the sentiments of la Ma- 
trie ; all whose morality was wrapt up in this single 
sentence, u Satisfy thy desires : they are the voice of 
God and of nature." To enlarge this little quotation 
from J. J. Rousseau, would be a superfluous task. It 
must appear evident to every unprejudiced reader? 
from the above assertion, that the maxims of this ad- 
mired philosopher have a greater tendency to ad- 
vance u self-gratification," than to promote " universal 
benevolence" in the world. 

Turn we now to the toleration of M. de Voltaire. 
In his epistle to Boileau, we find him writing thus.... 
" I have consecrated my voice to sing the praises of 
" virtue ; overcoming those prejudices which are 
" idolized by the ignorant, I dare to preach toleration 
" to persecutors." Now when any man comes forth* 
in this public manner, to plead the cause of candour 
and liberality, we are naturally led to admire the gene- 
rosity of his conduct. And it would be well if M. de 
Voltaire was really deserving of all that credit, which 
a stranger feels disposed to give him, when he as- 
sumes so questionable an appearance. But, notwith- 
standing the praises, which this celebrated writer has. 
bestowed upon his own humanity, and in spite of all 
the beautiful things he has said upon toleration, many 
m generous sentiments may be discovered in his 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST, PAUL. 363 

works, which tend to renew the most bloody persecu- 
tions. Take an instance or two. 

1 " It is never necessary to rise up against the re- 
ligion of the prince." Upon this principle Jesus Christ 
and St. Paul were highly worthy of blame, notwith- 
standing the hypocrisy and idolatry, which composed 
the religion of Caiaphas and Tiberias. 

2. " What is called a jansenist is really a madman, 
a bad citizen, and a rebel. He is a bad citizen, be- 
cause he troubles the order of the state : he is a rebel 
because be disobeys. The molinists are madmen of 
a more harmless kind/' These two lovely maxims of 
toleration are to be found in a little piece of M. de 
Voltaire's, intitled " The voice of a philosopher and of 
the people." 

Had the King of France attended to this voice, 
he would have regarded every jansenist, and, for the 
same reason, every protestant, as a. bad citizen or a, re- 
bel ; every spark of religious moderation would have 
been extinguished in his royal bosom, and an effectual 
door thrown open to the terrible exertions of tyrannical 

"/Mno" 'T'vocq I>va<-p1-)i^]pr] -ppK^lo «y»' ". o»1~ 4 * *- 7JT> T-"^-irp "TIP- 

rished unpitied and unheard ; while the bigoted 
Prince, convinced that " a man must cease to be a fa- 
natic before he merits t0lerati0S*'* might have gloried 
in the rectitude of his public conduct. Such a Prince 
might have commanded his blood-thirsty troops to ad- 
vance under the banners of modern philosophy, leav- 
ing M. de Voltaire to animate them against the inno- 
cent with, what he calls, " The voice of a philoso- 
pher." 

It appears then, recording to M. de Voltaire, that 
every subject should profess the religion of his Prince. 
Nor is this opinion less earnestly contended for by J. 
J. Rousseau, who tells us in his Emilius, that " every 
daughter should be of her mother's religion, and that 
every woman shouldprofess the religion of her husband. 
So that if a man should turn from the true and em- 
brace a false religion, his wife and children are bound 



£64 1HE PORTRAIT ©F ST. PATT-L. 

to apostatize with him : and, in case of a refusal on 
their part, J. J. Rousseau, while he affects to plead the 
eause of liberty, pronounces upon them a sentence of 
condemnation. Upon these principles of toleration, 
the father of the family is authorized to persecute his 
Don-conforming wife and children, and a Prince may 
lawfully take up arms against such of his subjects as 
are fanatics. If the benevolence and morality of these 
j&andid philosophers were to be substituted in the place 
ef that liberality and love, which the Gospel requires, 
to what a deluge of misery would it give rise, both in 
families and in commonwealths! Kings would tyrannize 
over the conscience of their subjects, husbands ove? 
that of their wives, and parents over that of their chil- 
dren : nor would the least religious liberty be experi- 
enced by any class of men, except by the Princes of 
the earth. Such is the imperfect charity, and such the 
limited freedom, for which modern philosophers have 
contended with equal earnestness and approbation. 

The dangerous principle of these two oracles, up- 
on the subject of toleration, will suffice to shew, with 
how just reason the former of them could say...." I hate 
false maxims, but I detest evil actions yet more". ..Alas I 
the horrible actions of a murdering inquisitor termi-* 
nate with his life; but the intolerant doctrines of these 
reputed sages, may continue to scatter misery and 
death through the world, long after their neglected 
tombs are mouldered into dust 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL* 363 



CHAP. III. 

THE GREAT INFLUENCE OF DOCTRINES UPON 
MORALITY. 

TO ascertain the importance of doctrines in 
genera], let us consider the influence they have upon 
our conduct. Our duties in life depend upon the dif- 
ferent relations we sustain in it ; and these relations 
affect us only, as they are understood. Thus it is ne- 
cessary, that a child should know his father, before 
he can truly love him in that character. This know- 
ledge is the effect of certain instructions or maxims, 
which influence our manners, in proportion as they 
are assented to. I love the man from whom I have 
received my birth and education with a particular af- 
fection : but such love is founded, first upon this general 
doctrine, " Every child, honourably born, should reve- 
rence and love his Father ;" and, secondly, upon this 
particular truth, " That man is thy Father." If I am 
made to doubt of this general doctrine, or of this par- 
ticular truth, the moral springs of that respect, love, 
gratitude and obedience, which are due to my father, 
will necessarily be weakened ; and if either the one 
or the other should lose all its influence over my 
heart, my father would then become to me equally 
indifferent as any other stranger. 

The knowledge, therefore, of the affinities,' which 
subsist between one being and another., is essential to 
morality. Why is it, that no traces of morality can 
be discovered among the beasts- of the field ? it is be- 
cause they are incapable of understanding either the 
relation in which creatures stand to the Creator, or the 
affinities which subsist among the creatures them- 
selves. As it becomes the soldier to have a distinct 
knowledge - of his officers, that he may ^render to 
every one according to his rank, the honour and obe- 
dience to which they are severally entitled ;- so, pre* 

K h 3- 



S66 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAWL. 

paratory to the practice of morality, it behoves us to 
have a clear perception of our various duties, toger 
ther with the proper subjects of those duties. If some 
desperate malady has deprived us of this knowledge, 
we then rank with idiots, and are in no condition to 
violate the rules of morality. Hence, the lunatic who 
butchers his father, is not punishable among us as a 
parricide, because he has no acquaintance with these 
general maxims, " No man should murder another, 
every son shall honour his father ;" nor has he any 
conception of this particular truth, " The man whom 
thou art about to destroy, is thy father." 

Take away all doctrines, and you annihilate all the 
relations which subsist among rational creature?, you 
destroy all morality, and reduce man to the condition 
of a brute beast, allowing him to be influenced by pas- 
sion and caprice, as the lowest animals are actuated by 
appetite and instinct. Admit only some few doctrines, 
and you admit only a part of your duties as well as 
your privileges. An example may serve to set this 
truth in a clear light. Suppose you have a rich father, 
who is at present, entirely unknown to you, and whom 
the world has ever looked upon as your parent ; if you 
never receive any certain intelligence concerning him> 
it is plain, that you can neither render him filial obe-, 
dience, nor yet succeed to his estates. 

Many philosopher Sj who cannot reasonably be sus- 
pected of fanaticism, or even of partiality to evangeli- 
cal principles, have yet strenuously insisted upon the 
importance of doctrine, as calculated to influence the 
conduct of mankind.. A polished writer of this class 
seems to have entertained an idea, that if all men were 
possessed of an enlightened understanding, crimes of 
every kind would be unknown in the world. Observe, 
at least, in what terms he speaks of war, which is an 
evil of that complex nature, that it may justly be look- 
ed upon as an assemblage of every possible vice..., 
" What is the cause of that destructive rage, which, , 
a in every period,, like a contagious malady, has in--. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 35? 

u fected the human race ? Ignorance is, undoubtedly, 
" the source of our calamities ; ignorance with re- 
" spect\o the relations, rights, and duties of our spe- 
" cies. Thus, the most ignorant and ampolished peo- 
" pie have ever been the most warlike: and those ages 
" of the world, which have been peculiarly distin- 
* guished by darkness and barbarism, have been in- 
" variably the most fruitful in murderous wars. Ig- 
" norance prepares the way for devastation ; and de- 
M vastation, in its turn, re-produces ignorance. With 
" a clear knowledge of their rights, and their recipro- 
" cal duties, which form the true and only interest of 
" nations, is a contradiction to suppose, that those na- 
" tions would voluntarily precipitate themselves into 
" an abyss of inevitable evils." This author, if he be 
supposed to speak of our relations and duties with re- 
spect to God, as w r ell as those which regard our neigh- 
bour, had reason on his side ; and especially, if his 
views were^directed to the knowiedge of every power- 
ful motive, w r hich should constrain us to fill up those 
duties. 

Upon these principles, of what fatal neglect are 
those persons guilty, who, being charged with the reli- 
gious instruction of princes and people, leave both 
immersed in a deplorable ignorance, which draws after 
it the horrors of war, with all the various calamities 
that overspread the face of Christendom, 




&6S THE PORTRAIT OF ST. FAUfc*; 



CHAP. IV. 

HOW TKE DOCTRINES OF THE GOSPEL COME I 
THE SUCCOUR OF MORALITY. 

IF to preach the Gospel, is to teach sinners 
the relations they sustain with respect to God, as 
Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier ; if it is to announce 
the advantages which flow from this three-fold rela- 
tion, till, penetrated with gratitude and love, man* 
kind apply themselves to fulfil the several duties to 
which they stand engaged ; we may challenge the 
world, to point out any knowledge of equal import- 
ance with that, which is discovered in the Gospel.... 
To deprive us, then, of the doctrines contained in this 
Gospel, is it not to suppi^ess the most important in- 
structions w*e can possibly receive ; is it not to conceal 
from us a Testament, which is made wholly in our 
favour ? To decide this question, we shall here con*- 
sider what influence these doctrines have upon mo- 
lality. 

The virtues of worldly men, as well as their vices^ 
are little else than a kind of traffic carried on by an in- 
©rclinate self-love. From this impure source the most 
amiable of their actions flow; and hence, instead of 
referring all things primarily to God, they act wj th- 
an eye to their own immediate advantage. Christ has 
offered a remedy to this grand evil, by teaching us, 
that to love the Deity with all our heart, is the first 
commandment of the Law ;. and that to love ourselves^ 
and our neighbour as ourselves, is but a secondary 
commandment in the sight of God : thus leading us- 
up to divine love, as the only source of pure virtue. ..» 
When self-love is once reduced to this wholesome or- 
der, and moves in exact obedience to the Creator's. 
Law, it then becomes truly commendable in man, and 
serves as the surest rule of fraternal affection. 

Evangelical morality ennobles our most ordinary^ 
actions, such as those of eating and drinking, requu> 



THE PORTRAIT ©F ST. IAUL. 569 

lag that " all things be done to the glory of God/' 
i.e. in celebration of his unspeakable bounty. A just 
precept this, and founded upon the following doctrine, 
a All things are of God :" to whom of consequence 
they ought finally to refer. If you lose sight of this 
doctrine, your apparent gratitude is nothing more than 
a feigned virtue, which has no other motives or ends, 
except such as originate and lose themselves in self- 
love. In such circumstances, you cannot possibly as- 
sent to the justice of the grand precept above cited ; 
but holding it up, like the author of the Philosophical 
Dictionary, as a just subject of ridicule, you may per- 
haps burlesque the feelings of a conscientious man, 
with regard to this command, as the comedian is ac- 
customed to sport with the character of a modest wo- 
man. Thus many philosophers are emulating the 
morality and benevolence of those sensorious reli- 
gionists, concerning whom our Lord significantly de-> 
dared, " Verily, they have their reward." 

How shall we reduce a sinner to moral order ? Will 
it be sufficient to press upon him the following exhor- 
tations : Love God with all thy heart : Be filled 
with benevolence toward all men : Do gcod to your 
very enemies? All this would be only commanding 
a rebel to seek happiness in the presence of a prince, 
whose indignation he has justly merited : it would 
be urging a covetous man to sacrifice his interests, 
not only to in different persons, but to his implacable 
adversaries. To effect so desirable a change in the 
human heart, motives and assistance are as absolutely 
necessary, as counsels and precepts. 

Here the doctrines of the Gospel come in to the 
succour of morality. But how shall we sufficiently 
adore that incomprehensible Being, who has demon- 
strated to us, by the mission of his beloved Son, that 
the divine nature is love ! Or, how shall we refuse any 
thing to this gracious Redeemer, who clothed himself 
with mortality that he might suffer in our stead 1 All 
the doctrines of the Gospel have an immediate ten- 
dency to promote the practice of morality. That of 



S70 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL* 

the incarnation, which serves as the basis of the new 
Testament, expresses the benevolence of the Supreme 
iBeing in so striking a manner, thatxvery sinner who 
cordially receives this doctrine, is constrained to sur- 
render his heart unreservedly to God. His servile fear is 
changed into filial reverence, and his aversion into fer- 
vent love. He is overwhelmed with the greatness of 
benefits received, and, as the only suitable return for 
mercies of so stupendous a nature, he sacrifices^ 
at once, all his darling vices. " If the Son of Goi> 
" has united himself to my fallen nature," such a 
humble believer will naturally say, " I will not rest, 
¥ till I feel myself united to this divine Mediator: if 
" he comes to put a period to my misery, nothing 
u shall ever put a period to my gratitude : if He has 
" visited me with the beams of his glory, it shall 
" henceforth become my chief concern to reflect those 
Ci beams upon all around me, to his everlasting praised 
The memorable sacrifice, which was once offered 
up in the person of Christ, as a propitiation for our sins, 
is abundantly efficacious in the same respect. This 
mysterious offering sets forth the malignity of our 
offences, ami represents tne eompas^on of the Deity 
in so overpowering a manner, that, while it fills us with 
horror for sin, it completely triumphs over the obdura- 
cy of our hearts. From the moment we come to a real 
perception of this meritorious sacrifice, from that 
moment we die to sin, till " rising again with Christ" 
into a new life, we become at length, wholly " renewed 
in the spirit of our mind." Point out a man, who uri- 
feignedly believes in a crucified Saviour ; and you have 
discovered a man, who abhors all manner of vice, and 
in whom every virtue has taken root. Such a one 
can thankfully join the whole multitude of the faithful, 
and say : " Being justified by faith, we have peace with 
God through our Lord Jesus Christ: and rejoicing in 
hope of the glory of God, we have obeyed, from the 
heart, that form of doctrine, which was delivered unto 
\*s." Once, indeed, when we where without the know- 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 37] 

ledge of Christ, " we where the servants of sin : but 
now, being made free from sin, and become servants 
to God, we have our fruit unto holiness, and the en3 
everlasting life. 5 ' 

If you ravish from such a mart these consoling and 
sanctifying doctrines, you will leave him either in the 
stupid insensibility of those, who give themselves up 
to carnal security, or in the perplexity of others, who 
are crying, " What shall we do to be saved I " The one 
or the other of these states must be experienced, in 
different degrees, by every man, who is unacquainted 
with thre efficacy of evangelical doctrines. And if the 
first moralist of the pagan WGrld was yet observed to 
triumph over this stupidity and confusion, it was merely 
through the regenerating hope he indulged, that J& 
restoring God, of whose internal operations he had al- 
ready been favoured with some faint perception, wouli 
.one day afford him a more clear and perfect light. 



CHAP. V. 

CONTAINING REFLECTIONS UPON THE APOSTLES^ 
CREJSD. 

FOR the fullest proof that a strict connexion 
subsists between the doctrines of the Gospel and the 
most perfect morality, let us cast our eye on the as- 
semblage of those doctrines, known by the name of 
4i The Apostles' Creed ;" a creed, to which every true 
christian conscientiously subscribes, and which bap- 
tized hypocrites make a solemn shew of assenting to. 
Our prejudice against these holy doctrines must ne- 
cessarily vanish, after we have duly considered the 
influence they naturally have upon the conduct of true 
believers. 



,372 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

This confession of faith has three parts. The first 
contains the principal doctrines of deism, or natural 
religion, setting forth the relation in which we stand 
to God, as Creator. The second part of this creed 
includes the principal doctrines contained in the four 
Gospels, and places before us the relation we bear to 
God considered in the character of Redeemer, or as 
coming to save the world by that extraordinary per- 
son, who is called the only-begotten son of God. The 
doctrines, here enumerated, are those, with which the 
disciples of our Lord were wholly taken up, till the 
day of their spiritual baptism. The third part pre- 
sents us with a recapitulation of the principal doc- 
trines set forth in the Acts and Epistles of the Apos- 
tles. This latter part of the Christian creed instructs 
us in our relation to God, as Sanctifier, or as coming 
lo regenerate man by that Spirit of truth, consolation 
and power, which was promised by Christ to his fol- 
lowers : a Spirit whose office is to instruct and sancti- 
fy the church of Christ, to maintain a constant com- 
munion among its' members, to seal upon their con- 
sciences the pardon of sin, to assure them of a future 
resurrection, and prepare them for a life of everlasting 
blessedness. Let us review these three parts of this 
Apostolic Creed, and observe the necessary reference 
they have to morality. 

The first article of this creed informs us, that 
there is an " all-powerful God," who is .the Creator 
of all things in Heaven and in Earth. It is evident, 
that no man can renounce this doctrine, without re- 
nouncing natural religion, and plunging headlong into 
atheism. If there is no God, there can be no divine 
Law, and morality becomes a mere insignificant 
term. Human laws may, indeed, restrain the wretch, 
who indulges a persuasion of this nature; but was it 
not for the authority of such laws, he would throw off 
the mask of decency, and laugh at the distinction be>- 
tween virtue and vice. 

If you admit, with Epicurus, " the Being of a God/' 
without admitting an "over-ruling providence.;" if 



THE PORTRAIT QT ST. PAUL. 373 

you believe not, that the Creator is an "all-powerful 
Parent, and, as such, peculiarly attentive to the con- 
cerns of his immense family ; you then destroy all 
confidence in the bepreme Being : you take from the 
righteous their chief consolation in adversity, and 
from the wicked their chief restraining curb in pros- 
perity. 

Mutilate this important doctrine, by admitting 
only a general providence, and you destroy the parti- 
cular confidence which holy men indulge, that God 
dispenses to his children, according to his unsearch- 
able wisdom, both prosperity and adversity ; that He 
listens to their supplications, and will finally deliver 
them out of all their afflictions. You trample under 
foot the most powerful motives to resignation and 
patience ; you nourish discontent in the heart, and 
scatter the seeds of despair among the unfortunate. 
Yet all this is done by many inconsistent advocates 
for morality. 

Heathens themselves were perfectly convmced,that 
the practice of morality was closely connected with 
the above-mentioned doctrine. Cicero, in his book 
concerning the nature of the Gods, seems to appre- 
hend, that the|whole edifice of morality would fall to 
the ground, was the doctrine of a particular provi- 
dence to be taken away. u For," says he, " if the 
" Gods observed not what is transacted here below, 
cl what would become of religion and holiness, 
u without which human life would be replete with 
K trouble and confusion ? I am persuaded, that, ia 
u banishing the fear of the Gods, we should, at the 
" same time, banish from among us good faith, jus- 
<f tice, and all those other virtues, which are con si* 
* dered as forming the basis of society/' 



74 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAT7L. 



CHAP. VI. 

THE CONNECTION OF MORALITY WITH THE SECOND 
PART OF THE APOSTLES' CREED. 

THE doctrines adverted to, in the latter part 
of the preceding chapter, compose the religion of the- 
ists, who believe in God, as Creator and preserver, 
but who know him not, as the restorer of fallen man. 
They, however, who give their unfeigned attention to 
the first part of this Creed, will never contentedly 
rest at the threshold of truth. After duly attending 
to the blessings of creation and preservation, they will 
readily perceive how destitute they are of that love, 
that gratitude, and that obedience, which are so justly 
due to the Author of all their mercies. Hence, gra- 
dually discovering that, even with respect to their 
neighbour, they are void of that justice and charity, 
which should be mutually exercised between man and 
man, they will humbly acknowledge their transgres- 
sions, and begin to apprehend those mysterious truths, 
by which the christian religion is distinguished from 
deism. 

In our ancient confessions ©f faith, no mention is 
made of the misery and depravity of man. For what 
need was there to make so melancholy a truth an ar- 
ticle of faith, since it has been publicly demonstrated 
in every age and country, by the conduct of all classes 
of men ? To deny, that indisputable evidences of this 
truth are every day to be met with, is to deny that 
there are in the world, prisons, gibbets, soldiers, fields 
of blood, and beds of death. 

If we give up the doctrine of the fall, and, of conse- 
quence that of the restoration, we give the lie to the gen- 
eral experience of mankind, as well as to that of our own 
hearts ; we shut our eyes against the light of convic- 
tion ; we cast away,in the midst of a labyrinth, the only 
clue that can guide us through its winding mazes. And 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST, PAUL. 375 

after such an act of folly we shall, either with infidel 
philosophers, disdain to implore the assistance of the 
Supreme Being ; or, like the haughty pharisee, we 
] approach him with insolence. 

If, in direct opposition to the doctrine of our depra- 
vity, we affirm, that » ; all things are good, and the hu- 
man species as free from imperfection as the Almighty 
at first intended," we then neglect the only probable 
means of overcoming sin, and obstinately endea- 
vour to preclude ail possibility of our restoration. 
Thus, by persuading a loathsome leaper, that his ma- 

y is both convenient and becoming, we teach him to 
despise the most efficacious remedies, and leave him 
a deluded prey to deformity and corruption. But if it 
be once admited, that we are immersed in sin, without 
the least possibility of restoring ourselves to a state of 

icence ; we have then, some degree of that humility, 

:h disposed St. Paul to embrace a persecuted Sa- 
viour, and by which alone we can be prevailed upon 10 
enr e second part of this sacred Creed. 

To reject that '~ r hich respects, either the Conception, 
the " B; : Sufferings. the Death, the Resurr ecticn, 

or the Ascension" of Jesus Christ, is to reject every 

gthat concerns this condescending Saviour ; since 
it is one and the same Gospel, that instructs us in all 
Oferent doctrines. To remove one of these 
j break the chain of evangelical truth, 
Ing one of the links, of which it is compos- 
lately to deny the authority of revelation, 
tfnotat y to overthrowthat grand edifice, of which 

Jesus Christ * k is the chief Corner-stone." In a word, 
our redemption by a crucified Sa- 
viour, is rejected either wholly or in part, so we reject 

ter " in part or altogether," the most constrain- 
ing motives to repentance and gratitude, obediance and 
put 

An unholy course of conduct proceeds from two 
alcauses, "pride and the rebellion of the senses: 5 ' 

oa the former, arises the disorder of our irrascible 



376 THE PORTRAIT OF ST* PAUL. 

passions ; and from the latter, proceed all our irregu- 
lar desires. Now, before these evils can be perfectly 
remedied, or the unholy become truly virtuous, it is ne- 
cessary to eradicate pride from the heart, and to subdue 
the irregular appetites of our degenerate nature. This 
is undoubtedly the most difficult task to be accom- 
plished in life: but what is impracticable to the incre- 
dulous deist, becomes actually possible to the sincere 
beliver. By the example of his persecuted Master, he 
is animated to trample upon all the pride of life ; and 
upon the Cross of his dying Lord, he is crucified to the 
sensual delights of this present world. " Take my 
yoke upon you," says the blessed, Jesus, and " learn of 
me : for I am meek and lowly in heart. Christ hath 
suffered for us, continued St. Peter, leaving us an ex- 
simple, that ye should follow his steps. Let the same 
mind be in you, adds St. Paul, which was also in Christ 
Jesus, who being in the form of God, voluntarily took 
upon him the form of a servant, and became obedient 
unto the death of the Cross." 

It is necessary to be well acquainted with the hu- 
man heart, and to have accurately observed the influ- 
ence that example has upon mankind, in order to un- 
derstand the great advantage which christians have 
over deists ; even allowing the morality of both parties 
to be equally pure. What is there, of which those 
persons are not capable, who follow the King of Kings, 
encouraged by his example and supported by his pow- 
er ? Thus supported, no command will appear too strict 
to be obeyed, no burden too heavy to be sustained : but 
we may joyfully triumph, like the first imitators of 
Jesus, over that innate pride, and those sensual desires, 
upon which the incredulous continually striking, as 
upon dangerous rocks, made shipwreck of all their 
boasted morality. 

The last article, recounted in this part of our Creed, 
must be supposed to have a prodigious influence upon 
the minds of men. Take away the doctrine of a judge* 
ment day, in which an infinitely holy and powerful 






THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 377 

God will render unto ever)' man according to his 
works ; you then take from the wicked those salutary 
fears, which restrain them in the career of vice, and 
from the righteous those glorious hopes, which are 
the strongest incentives to a life of godliness. 



CHAP. VII. 

THE CONNECTION OF MORALITY WITH THE THIRD 
PART OF THE APOSTLES' CREED. 

THE first article, in the third part of this ancient 
confession of faith, respects the confidence which eve- 
ry believer indulges in the divine grace, or rather in that 
Holy Spirit, which sanctifies the sinful and consoles 
the afflicted. If, by an obstinate incredulity, we reject 
.this sacred Comforter ; we refuse the wisdom and pow- 
er which result from an intimate union with the Father 
of lights, and disclaim all fellowship with that divine 
Mediator, whose humanity is far removed from the 
sight of men. As we could derive no possible advan- 
tage from a sun, whose rays, concentered in himself, 
should neither visit our eyes with their cheering light, 
nor our bodies with their kindly heat ; so, if the Almigh- 
ty neither illumines our minds by the Spirit of truth, 
nor animates our souls by the Spirit of charity, we may 
reasonably suppose him to have as little interest in 
the concerns of men, as the statue of Olympian Ju- 
piter. v x 

The remainder of this Creed, respects the nature of 
the Church, and the privileges of its members. 

To destroy the doctrines, which relate to the holi- 
ness of those who truly appertain to the church of God, 
the universality of that Church, and " the communion 
pf those saints/' of whom it is'composed; this is to over- 

3L1-3 



o78 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

throw the barriers, which form the pale of the Churchy 
confounding the holy with the profane, and the sincere 
with the hypocritical. 

Take away the doctrine, that respects the remis- 
sion of sins, and you leave us in a stafe of the most cruel 
uncertainty. You take away from penitantsthe expecta- 
tion that sustains them ; and from believers, the grati- 
tude that engages them to love much, because much 
has been forgiven them. You destroy the most pow- 
erful motive we have to pardon the offences of our 
neighbour, and leave us in a state of solitude incompati- 
ble with that internal peace, which is the peculiar pri- 
vilege of christians. 

Rob us of the doctrine of a future resurrection, and 
you leave us weak in times of danger, alarmed in times 
of sickness, and wholly in bondage to the fear of death. 

But, while we remain in possession of this exhila- 
rating truth, we can follow, without fear, the standard 
of the cross ; the most cruel torments are rendered tol- 
erable : and we can submit, without repining, to a tem- 
porary death, looking forward to a glorious resurrec- 
tion and a happy immortality. 



CHAP. VIII. 

CONSEQUENCES OF THE FOREGOING OBSERVATIONS, 

ALL crimes are founded upon those errors, 
which are first embraced in theory, before they are a* 
dopted in practice. Overthrow these errors by oppos- 
ing to them pure and incontrovertible doctrines, and 
you destroy sin in the bud. On the other hand, true 
■virtue is produced by truth. Oppose a lie to this 
truth, and, if it be admitted, you destroy the seeds of 
virtue. So long as the first man had his heart pent- 



THE PORTRAIT ©F ST.' PAUL. 3!TS 

trated with the certainty of this doctrine, " If I am un- 
grateful enough to disobey my Creator, I shall die f 
so long he remained in a state of innocence. But to 
this doctrine, the tempter opposed his- false promises. 
" You shall not surely die," said he ; on the contrary, 
" you shall become wise and happy as Gods." Ko 
sooner were these delusive doctrines assented to on the 
part of Adam, but his understanding becoming neces- 
sarily clouded, his will was immediately beguiled : and 
thus, blindly following the temptation, he fell into an 
abyss of misery. 

Doctrines, whether they be good or bad, still conti- 
nue to have the same influence upon the conduct of 
men ; and to suppose the contrary, is to suppose, that 
light and darkness can ever cease to produce their or- 
dinary effects. The following doctrine, " Out of the 
pale of the Romish church there is no salvation," has 
filled Europe with fires, scaffolds, and massacres.... 
Eradicate this doctrine from every prejudiced' heart, 
and plant in its room the following scriptural truth, 
" God is no respecter of persons ; but in every nation, 
he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is ac- 
cepted with him," and, in the place of streaming 
blood, we shall see streams of charity uninterruptedly 
flowing through every christian kingdom. 

The miser imagines, that riches are the " sove- 
reign good," and that the highest pleasure consists in 
counting over and over his splendid hoards. The de- 
bauched youth is confident, that the sovereign good 
consists in sensual gratification, and the highest grati- 
fication, in the enjoyment of a frail beauty destined to 
be the prey of worms. Destroy these groundless per- 
suasions by solid doctrines : demonstrate to these in- 
fatuated creatures that God himself is the sovereign 
good, and that this good is offered to us in Jesus Christ ; 
that the highest enjoyment consists in having the heart 
penetrated with divine love, and in looking forward 
with a lively hope of being one day eternally united 
vo God : convince them of these momentous truths* 



380 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAI7X. 

and the charms by which they have been captivated so 
long, will be immediately broken. Ah ! haw delight- 
ful is it, to behold such sensual reasoners awaking from 
their deathful slumber, and crying out with St. Au- 
gustine : " O eternal sweetness 1 Ineffable greatness ! 
■" Beauty for ever new ! Truth whose charms have 
tt been so long unnoticed, alas, how much time have I 
" lost, in not loving thee l r> 

Sound reason must unavoidably submit to the force 
of these observations, the truth of which is demon- 
strated by the general conduct of mankind. But, per- 
haps, the best method of reasoning with the incredu- 
lous, is to point out the consequences of their own sys- 
tem. Imagine a man, who, instead of receiving the 
-doctrines of the Gospel, publicly presumes to make 
the following declaration : " I believe not in God the 
Creator; I trust not in any Mediator, nor acknowledge 
any sanctifying Spirit. And, as I believe not in GocI ? 
so I believe not in what is called his Church ; nor do I 
look upon the communion of those who worship him, 
in any other light than that of a mere chimera. I be- r 
lieve not in the remission of sins. I look for no resur- 
rection, nor indulge any hope of everlasting life. Let 
us eat and drink ; for to-morrow we die." Was any 
man seriously to repeat in your hearing such a confes- 
sion of his faith, would you fix upon such a one for the 
management of your j estate ? would you entrust him. 
with the charge of your wife, or chuse him for the 
guardian of your children? would it be possible for 
you to depend upon his word, or confide in his honesty I 
Now imagine this very infidel, in some future season, 
convinced of his former errors, and firmly persuaded, 
that he acts under the eye of an omniscient God, who 
will bring " every work into judgment, with every se- 
cret thing." Suppose him smiting upon his breast 
with the penitent publican, and determining with St. 
Paul to know nothing " among men, save Jesus Christ, 
and him crucified." Would you not indulge a better 
opinion of this man, in his believing state, than when* 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. SS! 

he rejected, with modern philosophers, the doctrines 
of Christianity ? It could not possibly be otherwise. So 
true it is, that, in certain cases, your conduct will give 
the lie to your arguments, against the^utility of doc* 
trine s. 

J. J. Rousseau professes to have hated " bad max- 
ims" less than " evil actions ;" when, as a wise man> 
he should have detected the former as the cause of 
the latter. It is not sufficient, that we profess to make 
the principles of virtue the ground of our conduct, un- 
less that basis be established upon an immovable foun- 
dation. Without attending to this rule, we resemble 
those Indians, who suppose tliQ world to be founded 
upon the back of an elephant, while that elephant is 
supported by the shell of a tortoise ; and who, perfect- 
ly satisfied with such a discovery, attempt not to un- 
derstand any more of the matter. 

A system of morality, how beautiful so ever it may 
appear, unless it be supported by doctrines of the ut- 
most consistency and firmness, may be compared to a 
splendid palace, erected upon the sands : in some un- 
expected storm, it will assuredly be swept away, prov- 
ing, at once, the disgrace of its builder, and the ruin 
of its inhabitant. 



CHAP. IX. 

AN APPEAL TO EXPERIENCE. 

EXPERIENCE goes far in the decision of 
many difficult questions, and before it, the most sub- 
tile sophism cannot long maintain its ground. To 
this, therefore, we cheerfully appeal for the happy ef- 
fects of the Gospel. Ye incredulous sages of the day, 
shew us a single enemy to the doctrines of revelation. 



382 The portrait of st. paul. 

who may truly be called a humble man, conducting 
himself soberly, justly, and religiously, in all the try- 
ing circumstances of life. Through the whole circle 
of your infidel acquaintance, you will seek such a one 
in vain. 

If it be said, that J. J. Rousseau, though a profess- 
ed sceptic, presented us with the portrait of a perfectly 
honest man : We answer, in the first place, that J. J. 
Rousseau rejected not the Gospel, as an obstinate ene- 
my ; but rather counted it an affliction, that he was un- 
able to embrace its doctrines : and secondly, that this 
philosopher was equally destitute of humility and re- 
ligion. 

It must be confessed, that there are multitudes of 
inconsistent persons in the world, who constantly de- 
ceive themselves, and who frequently delude others, 
by their fallacious notions of faith and incredulity.... 
We meet with many, who, while they rank them- 
selves in the number of believers, are usually employ- 
ed in the works of infidels : and, on the other hand, 
we observe divers penitent worshippers, who, through 
an excess of humility, account themselves no better 
than infidels, while they manifest in their conduct the 
fidelity of christians. But these particular exceptions 
are insufficient to destroy the general rule here con- 
tended for : since the former must be looked upon as 
believers, and the latter as infidels, only in appearance. 
The first have not sincerity enough to acknowledge 
their secret incredulity : and the last have not light 
sufficient to determine their exact advancement in the 
christian faith. The latter deserve our pity, while the 
former merit our indignation. 

But turn your eyes upon an enlightened believer. 
Behold St. Paul, after his memorable submission to the 
persecuted Jesus ! the love of God possesses his soul, 
and he consecrates all his powers to the service of his 
exalted Master. Appointed to instruct the ignorant, 
he discharges his important commission with indefa- 
tigable zeal. Carrying to the afflicted both spiritual 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 283 

and temporal succours, he appears to be borne from east 
to west, as upon the wings of an eagle. He is ready 
to spend and be spent, for the common interests of 
mankind. He proves his fidelity and gratitude to 
Christ, at the hazard Gf his life. His magnanimity 
and fortitude, his resignation and patience, his gene- 
rosity and candour, his benevolence and constancy, are 5 
at once, the amazement of his enemies, and the glory 
of his followers. Behold this converted pharisee, and 
acknowledge the wonderous efficacy of evangelical 
doctrines. 

You slaves of philosophical prejudice I how long 
will you mistake the nature of doctrines so happily a- 
dopted to humble supercilious man; so perfectly calcu- 
lated to destroy both presumption and despair ; to 
bend the most hardened under the tender pressure of 
mercy, and carry up grateful believers to the sublimest 
summit of virtue ? Behold three thousand Jews sub- 
mitting, at the same instant, to the constraining power 
of these doctrines. Through their transcendant effi- 
cacy, innumerable miracles are still daily operated a- 
rnong us. They dispel the mists of ignorance, they 
destroy the seeds of injustice, they extinguish irregular 
desire, and open in the heart a source of universal 
charity i Thus, " the multitude of them, that" for- 
merly " believed, were of one heart and one soul :" &c. 
Enjoying together the a sovereign good," it was not 
possible for them to contend with each other for the 
trifling enjoyments of time and sense. God had giv- 
en them his only-begotten Son ; how then could they 
refuse any thing to their indigent brethren. 

Long after St. Luke had borne testimony to the 
unexampled charity of Christians, we find Tertuliian 
citing the following testimony which his heathen co- 
temporaries were constrained to bear in favour of the 
■same christian virtue, " Behold, say they, how these 
christians love, and are prepared to die for each ether I" 
Yes, adds this celebrated christian father, " W^ who 
have but one heart and one soul, are not afraid to have 



384 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

one purse. Among us all things are common, ex- 
cept our wives." 

If the testimony here produced should be disre- 
garded, because drawn from the writings of a profess- 
ed advocate for Christianity, we will readily come to 
another test. Pliny bears witness to the pure conver- 
sation of the persecuted christians of his time. And 
the Emperor Julian himself, one of the most enlight- 
ened, as well as implacable enemies of Christianity, ex- 
horted his heathen subjects to practice among them- 
selves the duties of charity, after the example of chris- 
tians, " Who abound, said he, in acts of benevolence. 3 ' 
And as to the joy, with which they sacrificed their lives, 
when occasion so required : They go, continues he, 
to death, as bees swarm to the hive." Such influ- 
ence have the doctrines of our holy religion upon the 
conduct of its sincere professors, even by the Confes- 
sion of their inveterate enemies. 

It appears then, that St. Paul was employed like 
an experienced moralist, while he was engaged in 
erecting the sacred edifice of morality, upon the solid 
foundation of evangelical truths. And the doctrines 
he made choice of, as peculiarly suited to this purpose, 
were those which respect the mercy of God in Christ 
Jesus. Upon these he laid the greatest stress, and 
from these he drew his most persuasive arguments to 
virtue and piety. Witness that memorable exhorta- 
tion delivered to his Roman converts...." I beseech 
you, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye pre- 
sent your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable un- 
to God, which is your reasonable service." 

To withhold from the degenerate this cheering 
truth, that " they are bought with a price," is to deny 
them one of the most powerful motives to love and 
" glorify God in their bodies and in their souls," which 
appertain to him by the endearing right of redemption, 
as well as by that original right of creation, to which 
they Jare generally rendered insensible by the aiRic- 
tions and disappointments of life. Instruct them con- 



THE PORTRAIT OF Sf. PAUL. 08$ 

cerning the sanctity of the divine Law ; set before 
them the guilt of their innumerable offences ; and 
the just fears, to which such discoveries must natural- 
ly give rise, will make existence itself an intolerable 
burden. But when the Gospel of our redemption be- 
gins to dissipate their doubts, and allay the anguish of 
their remorse, they will be enabled to go rejoicing on 
their way, through the strictest paths of obedience and 
morality. 



CHAP. X. 

AN OBJECTION ANSWERED, WHICH MAY BE DRAW^? 
FRQM THE ILL CONDUCT OF UNHOLY CHHIS1IAN>, 
TO PROVE THE INUTILITY OF THE DOCTRINES 
OF THE GOSPEL, 

THEY, who exalt philosophy against revelation, 
imagine, that to invalidate the preceding reflections, they 
need only make the following reply : ;I Ail christians 
receive the apostles 5 Creed ; but their faith is, in gene- 
ral, unattended with the happy effects you have been 
recounting. Crimes of every kind are committed by 
the disciples of Jesus : and their dc : instead of 

producing charity, engender little else but dispute and 
persecution. " The serious nature of this objection de- 
mands a suitable reply. 

A tme christian was never known to be a persecu- 
tor. The cruel disputes which have arisen among 
iaithless christians, have not necessarily sprung from 
the nature of scriptural doctrines, but rather from the 
pride of those tyrannical doctors, who have contended 
^br their particular explications of such doctrines. To 
insinuate, then, that the doctrines of trie Gospel should 
be utterly rejected,beca.use some churdime-wiave taken- 

k k 



386 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

occasion from them to stir up vehement contests, would 
scarcely be less absurd, than to contend that anarchy is 
to be preferred before an excellent code of laws, because 
unprincipled lawyers are accustomed to foment strife, 
and have it always in their power to protract a cause. 
As to the extravagant explications, which the subtilty 
or power of men has substituted in the place of evan- 
gelical doctrines, they can no more be said to prove 
the falsity or unprofitableness of such doctrines, than 
the detested policy of tyrants can weaken the force of 
that apostolic precept, " Let every soul be subject un- 
to the higher powers," But let us come to the main 
knot of the difficulty. 

They, who have unfeignedly embraced the doc- 
trines of Christ, far from committing a variety of 
crimes, have carried every virtue to a degree of per- 
fection, surpassing almost the conception of other men. 
Rousseau and Montesquieu acknowledge, that even in 
those countries, where the Gospel has but imperfectly 
taken root, rebellions have been less frequent than in 
other places. The same acknowledgment must be 
made, by every unprejudiced observer, with regard to 
vice of every kind. Many offences, it must be owned, 
are every where common among the professors of 
Christianity ; but they would have been abundantly 
more frequent, if antichristian philosophers had been 
able to take from them the little respect they still re- 
tain for a revealed Gospel. Moreover, there are ma- 
ny rare virtues, which chiefly flourish in secret : and 
they, "who deserve the name of christians, might as- 
tonish incredulity itself, had not Christ commanded 
them to perforin their best services in so private a 
manner, that the left hand might not know how the 
right was engaged.. 

Nothing can be more unjust, than to impute those 
evils to the christian religion, which evidently flow 
from incredulity and superstition, fanaticism and hy- 
pocrisy. Jesus Christ requires of his followers an ar- 
dent love both to God and man ; such a love as was 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 387 

exemplified in the whole of his own conduct through 
life. The incredulous deny, either wholly or in part, 
the debt of grateful love, which the innumerable mer- 
cies of God impose upon them : sinceAvhile the athe- 
ist refuses to acknowledge him as the Creator and Pre- 
server of man, the deist rejects him as the author of 
our redemption and sanctification. The superstitious, 
indeed, acknowledge these immense debts ; but they 
pretend to pay them with idle ceremonies, and vain 
repetitions of tedious forms. The fanatic attempts to 
discharge them with unfruitful fervors, and the hypo- 
crite with stupid grimace. But these errors cannot 
reasonably be considered in common with our holy 
religion which exposes and condemns them all. 

The life of a christian, so called, must necessarily 
become pure, when he is actually possessed of chris- 
tian faith, i. e. when he is strongly persuaded, that he 
walks in the presence of the Almighty, who being his 
Father by Creation, becomes so in a still more affec- 
tionate and effectual manner, by the mysterious exer- 
tions of his redeeming and sanctifying grace. These 
three astonishing operations of the Supreme Being, are 
undoubtedly three grand evidences of his love to man t 
and must be considered, as so many abundant sources 
of christian charity, among the members of his church. 
Hence, the man, who acknowieo-es but one of these 
proofs, cannot possibly be united either to his brethren, 
or to his God, with so ardent an affection, as he who 
admits and experiences all the three. The divine cha- 
rity, here spoken of, is produced in the heart by means 
of faith, and from it proceeds every social virtue, with 
every praise w r orthy-action. 

All this is conformable both to reason and expe- 
rience. A weak subject will fear to disobey a power- 
ful king, whose eye is actually upon him : at least, so 
long as the subject is penetrated with this thought, 
" The King observes me.' 1 A son will never exalt 
himself against a good father, while he believes that 
his father, in every possible sense, is good with respect 



388 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 

to him. Brethren, who cordially acknowledge each 
other as such, will not dare to abuse one another in 
the presence of a father who is infinitely powerful : 
and while he leads them to take possession of a king- 
dom, which his generosity has divided among them ; 
they will not threaten to murder each other under the 
eyes of their parent, for the possession of any little en- 
joyment that presents itself upon the road. The sons 
of Jacob had never sold their brother Joseph, if they 
had been firmly persuaded, that Israel would one day 
discover their crime : and they would have conceived 
the greatest horror, had they really believed, that their 
Heavenly Father was present at the impious transac- 
tion, resolving to call them at some future season, to a 
severe account, in the face of the world. A faith, 
which has no influence upon the conduct, is no other 
than the faith of hypocrites, upon whom our Lord de- 
nounces the most terrible judgments, threatening them 
with everlasting banishment from his presence, into 
that outer darkness, where shall be u weeping, and* 
wailing, and gnashing of teeth. I will shew thee my 
faith/"* saith St. James, " by my works. If any man 
say,'* 5 continues St. John, " I believe in God, I love 
God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar." The same 
principles, which in the present moment gain the as* 
cendancy in man, give rise to the words and actions 
of the moment : and hence that saying of the Apostle, 
" Whosoever abideth in him, [Christ] sinneth not : 
whosoever sinneth, hath not seen him, 5 ' through the 
medium of a true and lively faith. 

If there are found professors of Christianity, ia 
whom the truths of the Gospel have failed to produce 
a holy conversation, we may take it for granted, that 
such persons are infidels in disguise, and totally unac* 
quaintetl with the Gospel ; except it be in theory. The 
faith which is common to these nominal christians, is. 
purely speculative, not differing less from the solid 
faith of a true believer, than a sun upon canvas differs 
from that, which spreads light and heat anjong sur* 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 389 

rounding worlds. As a plant cannot be nourished by 

the superficial application of strange sap to its rind, 
but by a sap peculiar to its own nature, which, Mowing 
beneath its bark, penetrates, enlivens, and nourishes 
every part of the plant : so the conduct of a man can- 
not possibly be reformed by notions or doctrines col- 
lected from books, but by those, which, penetrating be- 
yond his judgment, insinuate themselves into his 
heart, and become incorporated with his very being. 

This answer cannot justly be regarded as a vain sub- 
terfuge. To be convinced of its soliditv, it will be sum- 
cient to consider how the soul is affected according to 
the different degrees of any impression that is made 
upon it. While Jacob was still lamenting the suppos- 
ed death of Joseph, Reuben informed him, that his be- 
loved son was yet alive* and enjoying the second placs 
of dignity in Egypt. These tidings at first appealed 
delusive to the good old man, who was no otherwise 
affected by them, than by some extravagant relation. 
But when the affirmations of Reuben were seconded by 
the joint testimony of his other sons, his earnest at- 
tention was immediately excited, his incredulity was 
gradually overcome, and his fainting heart began to 
revive. The waggons and presents of Joseph now ap- 
.ring, in confirmation of his childrens' report, his 
doubts were entirely dissipated: " My son," cried he, 
k% is yet alive i I will go and see him before I die." 
This animating persuasion, ;i Joseph is yet alive,*' 
seemed to restore the languishing patriarch to all the 
vigour of former years. Ke renounced a terrestrial 
Canaan ; he turned his back upon the tombs of Isaac 
and Rachel ; and, with all the courage of youth, get 
ward to embrace his newly discovered son in Egypt. 
t So certain it is, that a truth in which we are deeply in- 
rested, will change, in some degree, cur very nature, 
and modify the soul itself. 

Thus the Gospel of God our Saviour affects every 
true believer. And why should Egypt have greater 
charms than Heaven? Or, why should an invitation 

k k 2 



390 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAU3,. 



from the virtuous son of Rachel have greater weighs 
than that which comes from the divine son of Mary T 
Were the fruits which Joseph sent his father to be pre- 
ferred before those of the Spirit, with which Christ re- 
plenishes his favoured Israel I Or, did the dissembling 
sons of Jacob merit greater credit, than the Apostles of 
our exalted Lord, though seconded by that noble army 
of martyrs, who have sealed with their blood the truths 
of the Gospel ; Alas ! if the fundamental doctrines of 
the Gospel, (for we speak not here of those human 
additions, by which it is too frequently disfigured and 
weakened) had but deeply penetrated our hearts, we 
should bear testimony, by our conduct, to the truth of 
the following assertion...." If any man be indeed a 
christian, he is a new creature ; old things are passed 
away ; all things are become new." 

But why should we go back to the times of Jacob* 
to prove that doctrines have an influence upon the 
conduct of mtn^ in proportion to the degree of faith 
with which they are received ? Let us return and cast 
a retrospective view over the various circumstances of 
our past life. If v/e have at any time felt a lively per- 
suasion of the truth of the Gospel: If, at our first ap- 
proaching the sacramental table, or after hearing some 
pathetic sermon, we have really believed, " that God 
was in Christ reconciling the world unta himself," and 
promising his people, in return for their temporary 
labours, everlasting rewards ;...,. have we not, at such a 
moment, perceived the love of God and man, spring* 
ing up in our hearts ? Now, if this partial persuasion 
had spread itself through the whole soul, would not 
our devotion, our humility, and our charity, have been 
carried to a much higher degree of perfection, than 
we have hitherto experienced I Would not our good 
works of every kind, have been abundantly more excel- 
lent and numerous,than we cannow possibly pretend to ? 

On the other hand, let us look back to the days of 
youth, and we shall recollect a time, in which the 
doctrines of the Gospel began to lose the little iofh> 



THE FORTSAIT OF S-T. PAUL. 3^1 

ence they had once maintained over our conduct : w€ 
shall remember, at least, when the licentious princi- 
ples of worldly men, and the false maxims of infidel 
philosophers, insinuated themselves into our corrupted 
hearts. And have we not since that time experienced, 
that the strictest connexion subsists between those max- 
ims and immorality ? Have we not from that unhappy- 
period, become more debauched in sentiment, less cir- 
cumspect in our outward behaviour, and more dispos- 
ed to trample upon the principles of natural religion, 
as well as upon evangelical precepts ? From these ob- 
servations, we shall proceed to draw the following in- 
ferences : 

1. If morality may be compared to a tree, whose, 
fruit is for the nourishment of mankind, true doctrines 
may be considered as the roots of this tree. Take 
away these doctrines under pretence that they embar- 
rass morality, and you ridiculously cut away the roots 
of this sacred plant, lest they should prove an impe- 
diment to its rising perfection. Now he, who thus 
seeks the morality of the Gospel by reprobating evan- 
gelical doctrines, would act entirely consistent with his 
character, was he to plant his orchards with trees de- 
prived of their roots, in order that they might produce 
the more excellent fruit. 

2. As in the vegetable kingdom, fruits are nourish- 
ed and matured by that vegetative energy, which 
draws the sap from the root, refining, and distributing 
it among the several branches : so in the moral world? 
charity and good works can only be produced by that 
living faith, which first receives the doctrines of truth, 
and then becomes a kind of vehicle to their invigorat- 
ing virtue. This faith was rightly characterized by 
Christ and his Apostles, when they represented it as 
the grace, by which we are principally saved ; since 
this grace alone is capable of producing in us that 
lively hope, that ardent charity, and that universal 
obedience, which will ever distinguish the believef 
from the infideh He, therefore, \yho declaim* against 



o92 . THE PORTRAIT 6F ST. PAUL. 

this scriptural faith, whether he be a novice or a phi- 
losopher, indirectly pleads the cause of vice, and gives: 
sufficient proof of his spiritual ignorance. 

3. From what has been advanced, we may infer 
the necessity there is, of avoiding the mistake of the 
gnostics on the one hand ; and the error of incredu- 
lous sages on the other : the former of whom, con- 
tending for a speculative faith, salute Christ as their 
Lord, though they refuse to obey his commands ^ 
while the latter holding faith in the utmost derision? 
and depending upon their own power for the perform- 
ance of every good work, pollute, by unworthy mo- 
tivesj the most excellent of their actions* 



CHAP. XI. 

THE SAME SUBJECT CONTINUED. 

AS many have taken great offence in observing^ 
how little effect the doctrines of the Gospel have upon 
the lives of christians so called, it becomes us here to 
enquire into the causes of this grand evil. 

The doctrines which distinguish Christianity from 
theism, have this peculiarity, that no man can possi- 
bly receive them, unless he has first sincerely embrac- 
ed the doctrines of theism. He must believe in God, 
before he can believe in Christ ; he must have the sin- 
cerity of an honest heathen* before he comes to the 
possession of christian charity. It is usual with the 
whole multitude of outward professors to cry out in 
their public services ; " We believe in Jesus Christ : 
We believe in the Holy Ghost:" &c. though their faith, 
it may be, is not equal to that of devils, who believe in a 
the existence of are warding and avenging God, with sin- 
cerity sufficient to make them tremble before him. Thesa? 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 393 

hypocrites can fto more be said to believe, from the 
heart, the latter articles of the Apostles 3 Creed, than 
those children, who are yet unacquainted with the al- 
phabet, may be said to have perusedrand digested the 
most profound authors. The doctrines of the Gospel 
must necessarily appear both useless and absurd to 
those, whose faith in God is not sufficient to penetrate 
them with a holy fear : for as we cannot arrive at man- 
hood without first passing through the state of infan- 
cy, so we cannot cordially receive the latter part of 
the Apostles' Creed, till we have first embraced the for- 
mer part by a lively and stedfast faith. Why did 
Caiphas refuse to believe in Christ ? Because he was 
but an hypocrite with respect to the Jewish faith. On 
the contrary, why did Cornelius the centurion so rea- 
dily believe ? It was, undoubtedly, because the since- 
rity of his faith in God had prepared his heart for the 
reception of faith in Christ. " Every man," saith this 
divine Saviour, " that hath heard, and hath learned of 
the Father, cometh unto me. Ye who believe in God* 
believe also in me : and I will pray the Father, and 
He shall give you another Comforter, even the Spirit 
cf truth." 

These fundamental doctrines compose the ladder 
of evangelical truth, in 'which he, who takes offence at 
any single step, runs a double hazard, that of ascend- 
ing no higher, and even that of falling from the step 
where he has obstinately determined to take up his 
rest. " Fie that doeth truth, cometh to the light ; M 
but he that refuses the first truth, places himself be- 
yond the possibility of receiving those, which are of a 
more sublime nature. If he has not first observed the 
dawn of the Gospel day, he can never contemplate 
our divine Sun, when shining in his meridian bright 
ness. 

The articles of the christian faith may be com- 
pared to a course of geometrical propositions, the last 
of which always suppose a perfect knowledge of the 
first. To require of spiritual infants any high and 



394 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

important acts of faith in Jesus Christ, or in the Holy 
Spirit, before they are taught to entertain just notions 
of the Supreme Being, would be equally unreasona- 
ble, as for a man to pretend, that it is possible to make 
a good geometrician of an ignorant peasant, by instruct- 
ing him to repeat the terms of Euclid's last proposi- 
tions, without ever bringing him to a true understand- 
ing of the first. If, then, the generality of christians 
are contented with learning merely to repeat our doc- 
trinal terms, we must expect to see them as far from 
manifesting the virtues of St, Paul, as the superficial 
peasant from possessing the solidity of Euclid* 



CHAP. XII. 

OTHER REASONS GIVEN FOR THE LITTLE INFLUENCE? 
WHICH THE FOREGOING DOCTRINES ARE OBSERVED* 
TO HAVE UPON CHRISTIANS IN GENERAL. 

PROFITABLY to teach the doctrines of the 
Gospel, there are certain rules necessary to be ob- 
served ; and where these rules are either unknown or 
neglected, the Gospel becomes of little importance. 

1. A true doctrine, in order to have its due effect, 
must be announced with purity. It should neither be 
mutilated by hasty contradictions, nor corrupted by 
vain additions. The prince of error equally serves 
his own interest, by perplexing the truth, as by spread- 
ing a falsehood : and when errors are added to evan- 
gelical truths, those truths may be compared to excel- 
lent medicines unhappily mingled with dangerous poi- 
sons. Thus, the doctrines of future punishments is 
not only deprived of its utility, but becomes really per- 
nicious, by the addition of another doctrine, whish 
teaches, that a sum of money left as the price of pray- 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 395 

cr for a departed soul, will effectually soften, and even 
terminate its pains. 

2. A doctrine should not only be delivered in the 
purest manner, but they who announce it should study 
to demonstrate its excellency and power, by the whole 
course of their conduct. Were leprous physicians to 
cry up a specific against the leprosy, it cannot be ima- 
gined, that lepers, in general, would anxiously adopt a 
remedy, which had been attended with so little effect 
upon the recommenders of it. We here intimate, not 
without the utmost regret, that too many of the clergy 
destroy the effect of their doctrines, by the immorali- 
ty of their conduct. 

3. To give scriptural doctrines their full effect, it 
is necessary to make them pass from the understand- 
ing to the will, or from the judgment to the heart of 
those, who admit them. It would be in vain to pro- 
cure for a patient the most efficacious remedy, if, in- 
stead of applying it in the method prescribed, he should 
think it sufficient to touch it with his lips, or should 
content himself with, drawing in the grateful odour ex- 
haling from it. To such a patient, however, the great- 
er part of christians bear a strict resemblance, who 
speculate upon the Gospel, without ever embracing it 
with that lively " faith, which worketh by love." 

4. It is not sufficient, that these doctrines should 
be preached in their native purity ; but it is equally 
necessary, that they should be preserved in the same 
purity by those, who receive them. Our Lord makes 
this solemn declaration to sinners : " Except ye re- 
pent, ye shall all likewise perish." Yet how is it, that 
many thousand christians who admit this important 
truth, remain to the present day in a state of impeni- 
tence ? It is because they mingle with it the following 
pernicious error : though I spend the present moment 
in sin, God will assuredly give me grace to repent in 
the latter part of my life. Hence that lamentable in- 
attention to the duties of religion which is universal 
among us at this day. 



J396 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

5. Very frequently the doctrines of the gospel ar« 
attended with no considerable effect upon those who 
admit them, because the salutary operation of these 
truths is counteracted by the powerful influence of 
earthly desires indulged in the heart. Thus, in a dis- 
ordered stomach, the most wholesome food is deprived 
of its virtue. To remedy this evil, it is necesary to en- 
ter upon a regimen too severe to be regarded by an 
obstinate patient, and upon an absolute necessity of 
which an inattentive physician will not peremtorily 
insist. 

6. Where doctrines of the most humiliating ten- 
dency have not first made a deep impression; there the 
consolatory doctrines of the Gospel tend only to up- 
hold the sinner in a course of impiety. Those preach- 
ers, who favour the false judgment of worldly men, 
wanting either courage or experience wisely to admi- 
nister the doctrines of the Gospel, so that they may 
alarm the impenitent and console the dejected; these 
preachers, instead of eradicating, do but increase the 
evil we lament. It cannot, indeed, be denied, that they 
offer many sacred truths to the world : but, while they 
do not nicely distinguish, and apply them to the dif- 
ferent states of their hearers, as they only draw their 
bow at a venture, it is no wonder that their arrows so 
frequently fall beside the mark. These perplexers of 
truth contribute as little to the conversion of sinners, 
as a physician would contribute to the recovery of the 
sick, who s without any prudent selection, compound- 
ing together all the drugs of an excellent pharmaco- 
poeia, should indiscriminately offer the same confused 
recipe to every patient. 

7. The doctrines of Christianity are frequently de- 
livered as the opinions of men, rather than as the de- 
clarations of God, founded upon events much better 
attested than the most certain historical facts : and to 
this single error the inefiicacy of those doctrines may, 
in a good degree, be imputed. Were reason and 
consience made to walk in the front of the Gospel, the 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. S§7 

tit of a Redeemer would be mere universally expe- 
rienced in the world, than it has hitherto been. But 

lie the preachers of that Gospel neglect to assert the 
depravity of human nature ; or while they omit, in con- 
firmation of so melancholy a truth, to make the most 

_mn appeals to the consciences of men ; so long we 
may expect to see their ill directed labours universal? 

successful. Had these teachers in Israel an expe- 
rimental acquaintance with those truths, upon which 
they presume openly to descant their wcrd would spe- 
dily be attended with unusual efficacy ; their example 
would give it weight, and, in answer to their fervent 
prayers, the God of all grace would set his seal to the 
truths of the GospeL 

Whenever the messengers of religious truth shall 
become remarkable for the purity of their lives, and the 
fervency of their zeal, their doctrines will soon be at- 
tended with sufficient influence in the christian world, 
to overthrow the objection we have been here consi- 
dering, and effectually to stop the mouth of every gain- 
fayer. 



CHAP. XIIL 

THE DOCTRINES OF CHRISTIANITY HATE AX OESCTRS 

SIDE. THE REASONS OF THIS OBSCURITY. THE 

-ERROR OF SOME PHILOSOPHERS IX THIS RESPECT. 

" THE Gospel, says J. J. Rousseau, is accompanied 
with marks of truth, so great, so striking, so perfc 
inimitable, that the inventor of it appears abundantly 
more admirable than its Hero. But, after all, this 
Gospel is filled with incredible things, with tilings that 
are repugnant to reason, and which no sensible man 
can possibly conceive, or admit. Remove ail the dim- 

Ll 



39$ THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

cutties, continues the admirers of this philosopher, dis- 
sipate ail the obscurity with which your doctrines are 
surrounded, and we will cheerfully embrace the 
Gospel. 55 

Extraordinary things appear always incredible, in 
proportion to our ignorance. Thus, an ignorant negro 
of Guinea would look upon that man as a deceiver, 
who should assert there are places in the world, where 
the surface of rivers become so solid, at particular sea- 
sons, that without bridge or boat, whole armies may 
pass them dry-shod. And it is well known that the 
doctrine of Antipodes gave no less offence to the cele- 
brated geographers of a former age, than is unhappily- 
given to the deistical sages of modern times, by the doc- 
trine of a divine Trinity. 

As we become better acquainted with spiritual 
things, instead of despising the truths of the Gospel as 
altogether incredible, we shall be truly convinced that 
J. J. Rousseau passed the same kind of judgment up- 
on the doctrines of Christianity, as a savage might be 
expected to pass upon some late discoveries in natural 
philosophy. The sciences present a hundred difficul- 
ties to the minds of young students. By entering up- 
on an obscure course, they, at length, attain to supe- 
rior degrees of illumination: but, after all the indefa- 
tigable labours of the most learned professor, the 
highest knowledge he can possibly acquire, will be 
mingled with darkness and error. If men of wisdom, 
however, do not look with contempt upon those sci- 
ences) which are usually taught among us, because all 
of them are attended with difficulties, and most of 
them are too abstruse to permit a thorough investiga- 
tion ; how absurd would it be in ' us, for these insuffi- 
cient reasons, to reject that revelation, which may be 
rnsidered as the science of celestial things. 
To despise the doctrines of the Gospel, because 
'hey are attended with some degree of obscurity, is 
to act in as full contrariety to the dictates of philoso- 
phy, as thosfj of revelation. No follower of J. J. Rous* 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 699 

Beau could blame us, without reproaching himself, if, 
arguing from the erroneous principles of hrs master, 
e should make the following declarations...." Natu- 
ral philosophy abounds with incredible things, which 
no sensible man can either conceive or admit. I 
have arteries, it is said, which carry my blood, with 
a sensible pulsation, from the heart to the extremi- 
ties of my body ; and veins, which without any pul- 
sation, reconduct that blood to the heart : but since 
the union of the arteries and veins is, to me, an in- 
conceivable mystery, I cannot admit the generally - 
received opinion, respecting the circulation of the 
blood. I see the needle of the compass perpetually 
turns itself toward the pole, and I have observed 
that the loadstone communicates to it this disposi- 
tion : but, as it cannot be ascertained how all this is 
effected, I look upon the voyages of Anson and Cook, 
which are said to have been performed by means of 
the compass, just as infidels are accustomed to look 
upon the Gospel. I will no longer increase the 
number of those idiots, who unthinkingly pass over 
a bridge, while they are perfectly unacquainted with 
the plan upon which it was built ; and who vulgarly 
depend upon their watches with regard to the re- 
gulation of time, without being thoroughly versed 
in the mechanism of time-peices I will never again 
be persuaded to take a medical preparation, till I 
have penetrated into the deepest mysteries of physic 
and chymistry. In short, I resolve neither to eat, 
nor drink ; neither to sow my grounds, nor gaze 
upon the sun ; till I am enabled perfectly to com- 
prehend, whatever is mysterious in vegetation, light, 
and digestion ." If the preceding declarations might 
reasonably be considered as evident tokens of a weak 
and puerile judgment, the following affirmation un- 
doubtedly deserves to be considered in the same ^oint 
of view...." I grant that the science of physics has its 
" unfathomable mysteries : but, as a philosopher of 
" the first rank, I insist upon it, J;hat nothing of a 



45© *FHE PORTRAIT ©? S". TAVL. 

u mysterious nature should be ffered to pass in re* 
€i ligion, that deep metaphysical science, which has 
" for its objects, the Father of Spirits, the relation in 
" which those Spirits stand to their incomprehensi- 
u ble Parent, their properties, their light, their nou- 
u rishment,. their growth, their distempers and their 
" remedies, their degeneracy and their perfection.'* 
Ye, who are anxious to be saluted as u Lovers of wis- 
dom," if such is the absurdity of your common objec- 
tions against the Gospel of God our Saviour, what 
poor pretensions have you to the boasted name of 
a Philosophers !** 

This answer may be supported by the following 
observations. 

In the present world, we serve a kind of spiritual 
apprenticeship to " the truth, which is after godliness r? 
and it is not usual, hastily to reveal the secrets of an 
art to such as have but lately bound themselves to any 
particular profession. This privilege is justly reserved 
for those, whose industry and obedience have merited 
£o valuable a testimony of their master's approbation. 
See Johirxiv. 21. 

A physical impossibility of discovering, at present, 
certain obscure truths, forms the vail, by which they 
are effectually concealed from our view. In order to 
form a perfect judgment of the material sun, it is ne- 
cessary in the first place to take a near survey of it : 
but this cannot possibly be done with bodies of a like 
constitution with ours. The same may be said of the 
Father of lights. God, as a spiritual Sun, enlightens, 
even now, the souls of the just : but while they con- 
tinue imprisoned in tenements of clay, their views of 
his matchless glory must necessarily be indistinct 
since they can only behold him " through a glass 
darkly." Hence, we argue with St. Paul, that as spi- 
ritual things are spiritually discerned, the natural man 
can never truly comprehend and embrace them, but 
in proportion as he becomes spiritually minded by re- 
generation. 



•JPHE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 401 

The wise Author of our existence initiates us not 
immediately into the mysteries, which lie concealed 
under many of our doctrines, for the very same rea- 
son, that a mathematician conceals the most abstruse 
parts of his science from the notice of his less intelli- 
gent pupils. • If a preceptor should affect to bring 
children acquainted with all the difficulties of algebra, 
before they had passed through the first rules of arith- 
metic, such an attempt would deservedly be looked up- 
on as ridiculous and vain. And is it not equally ab- 
surd to expect, that the profoundest mysteries of the 
Gospel should be open to us, before we have properly 
digested its introductory truths, or duly attended to its 
lowest precepts ? 

The Almighty will never perform a useless work, 
nor ever afford an unseasonable discovery. For the 
practice of solid piety, it is by no means necessary, that 
we should be permitted to fathom the depth of every 
spiritual mystery. It is enough, that fundamental 
truths are revealed, with sufficient perspicuity, to pro- 
duce in us that faith, which is the mother of charity. 
When the Gospel has proposed to us the truths, which 
give rise to this humble faith, and presented us with 
such motives, as evidently lead to the most disinterest- 
ed charity^ it has then furnished us with every thing 
we stand in need of to work out for ourselves a glori- 
ous salvation. The followers of Christ are required 
to tread in the steps of their master, and not deeply to 
speculate upon the secret things of his invisible King- 
dom. 

If a clear knowledge of the mysterious side of our 
doctrines, is no more necessary to man in his present 
state, than an acquaintance with every thing that re- 
spects the art of printing is necessary to a child, who 
is studying the alphabet; why then do we peevishly 
complain of the sacred writers, for not having thrown 
light sufficient upon some particular points to satisfy 
an inordinate curiosity? Our scruples on this head 
shoiild.be silenced by the constant declarations of those 

Li % 



402 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. FAtTl* 

very writers, that the time of perfection is not yet ar- 
rived ; that they themselves were acquainted, but in 
part, with the mysteries of the Kingdom ; and that 
the language of mortality is unsuitable to the sublimity 
of divine things. The sea has its unfathomable abysses, 
and an extent unknown to the most experienced na- 
vigators : but notwithstanding ail this uncertainty, the 
merchant is perfectly contented, if he can but glide 
securely over its surface to the port for which he is* 
bound. 

If we are placed here in a state of probation, it is 
reasonable that our understanding, as well as our will, 
should be brought to the trial. But how shall the Al- 
mighty proceed to make proof either of the self-sufti- 
eiency, or the diffidence of our understanding ? No 
happier method can possibly be adopted, than that of 
pointing us to such truths, as are partly manifest and 
partly concealed, that we may search them out with 
diligence, if there is a possibility of comprehending 
them : or, if placed above the highest stretch of our 
iaculties, expect with patience a future revelation o£ 
them. 

To acquire, and manifest dispositions of a truly 
divine nature, is possible only under a religious econo- 
my, whose doctrines are in some degree mysterious^ 
and whose morality has something in it painful to hu- 
man nature. Why then, do those persons, who affect 
to be wiser than their neighbours, universally take of- 
fence at such a religion I If a mysterious vail is thrown 
over the operations of nature, and the workings of 
Providence ; why should we expect the more wonder- 
ful operations of grace to be laid unreservedly open 
to every eye ? Philosophy, it is presumed, will not 
dare thus foolishly to destroy the rules of analogy. 
Humility is necessary to the perfection of our under- 
standing, no lees than sagacity and penetration : on 
which account God is pleased to bring our humility 
to the test. And this he does, by discovering to us so 

. ch of truth* as may enable us to recognize it on its 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 403 

- ranee ; at the same tim ob- 

:h to be surrounded with difficulties, suffi- 

rt to leave room for the exercise of that humble 

com in his veracity, and that true poverty of 

rs are pleased to hold up. as 
just subjects of (e. Sound knowledge, however, 

jted humility, will ys keep pace with 

each other. Hence, that memorable confession of Se- 
es, u All that I know. is. that I know nothing:" 
hence that remarkable declaration of St."PauI, *• If 
: he ia.-weth any thing, he kiiow- 
eth not : to know." 

I: is iny thing should have a gre:.> 

ency to keep man at a distance from God, 

i that arrogant -eif-surnciency. with which modern 

free-thinkers are usually puffed up. This unhappy 

must be totally subdued, before we can, 

: :.d of pure intelligence : and 

' permits our understand- 

id confounded, till it is con- 

■ etbre his supreme wisdom, in ac- 

. : ■".'• :. .. tit is alw 

:■: till after a thousand 
ised, that 

eaaent. Kere 
rates and St. Paul may be regarded as happy 
- :-:: . _g, in common, that submis- 

sive mi hat profound humility, which are 

so terrible .: nany - rs of wisdom. And it is 

but reasonable, that the piety of the one, and the phi- 
losophy of ; been established up- 
on I is of tk ;:h formed the 
ground of the following address mem Christ to his 
Father: '• Ith tee, O I rf Heaven 
and earth, be i hast hied ese things 
e wise and the prudent, and hast revealed them 
sbes." 

:mesus so much the more to moderate the 
: curiosity, with respect to truths 



404 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

©f a mysterious nature, since Christ himself has given 
us an example of the obedience due to the following 
apostolic precept...." Let no man think of himself 
more highly than he ought to think ; but let him think 
soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the 
measure of faith." This condescending Saviour was 
content, as Son of man,* to remain in the humble 
ignorance of w r hich we speak. If, in order to have sa- 
tisfied his curiosity, with respect to- the day of judg- 
ment, he had attempted to explorejhe secret counsels 
of the Almighty, there can be no doubt but his gracious 
Father would have admitted him into that impenetra- 
ble sanctuary. But he rather chose to leave among 
his followers an example of the most perfect respect 
and resignation to the will of that Father. 

What was said by St. Paul concerning heresies^ 
may, with propriety be applied to that obscurity, which 
accompanies the doctrines of the Gospel. " There 
must be heresies among you, that they which are ap- 
proved, may be made manifest." Mons. de Voltaire*, 
who saw not any utility in the proof here mentioned by 
the Apostle, was accustomed to censure revelation* 
because the doctrines it proposes are incapable of such 
incontestable evidences as mathematical problems... . 
He considered not, that lines, circles, and triangles,- 
failing immediately under the senses, are subjects of 
investigation peculiarly suited to the natural man. He 
recollected not, that many of Euclid's demonstrations, 
are as incomprehensible to the greater part of mankind, 
as the mysteries of our holy religion are incomprehen- 
sible to the generality of philosophers. And lastly, 
he perceived not, that, if all men were to pique them- 
selves upon their skill in mathematics, and were equal- 
ly interested in the proportions of circles, squares, and 
triangles, as in those relations, which subsist between; 
ialien man and an incomprehensible God, there w r ould 
be excited, among ignorant mathematicians, as many; 
warm disputes, as are continually arising among ill- 
instructed christians. 



TlfE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUk. 433 

The justness of these observations will become 
more apparent, if we consider the importance of that 
virtue, which is called, in scripture language, u The 
obedience of faith." Man originally suffered himself to 
be seduced with the hopes of wonderful effects to be pro- 
duced by the fruit of a mysterious tree ; founding his 
frail hope upon the simple declaration of the tempter. 
God, in order to humble the soul? is pleased to re- 
store us through the hope of powerful effects to be pro- 
duced by the truths of a mysterious revelation : a 
sweet hope, whose only basis is the simple declara- 
tion of the God of truth. And it is undoubtedly rear 
sonable, in every respect, that the cause of 01 . rested 

:n should be thus directly opposed to the cause 
©four fall. The obedience, that is unattended with c. 
eulties can ntx^r be regarded as a reasonable proof of 
our fidelity to God. Had He merely commanded us to 
believe, that " The whole is greater than a part ; or 
3 and two make four:"' in such case no room- 
would have been left for a reasonable distribution of 

;.rds and punishments. The Deity could not pos- 
sibly have 1 ^obeyed, since we can no more re- 
fuse our assent to these manifest truths, than we can 

y the existence of the Sun, while we are rejoicing 
in his meridian brightness. It appears, therefore, per- 
fectly necessary, that every truth, proposed to the faith 
of man in his probationary €tate, should have an ob- 
scure, as well as a luminous side, that it may leave 
place for mature deliberation, and of consequence, 
for the merit or demerit of those, who are called to 
" the obedience of faith." 

To desire a revelation without any obscurity, is to 
desire a day without night, a summer without winter, 
a sky without a cloud. And what should we gain by 
such an exchange ? Or rather, what should we not 
lose ; if those intentional obscurities, which conceal 
some parts of celestial truth, should be as needful to 
man in his present situation, as those clouds, which fre- 
quently deform the face of the heavens, are beneficial 



4®6 THE PORTRAIT OP ST. PAUL. 

to the earth ? The faith, which is unaccompanied with 
any thing mysterious, no more merits the name of 
faith, than the tranquility of a man, who has never 
been in the way of danger, deserves the name of brave- 
ry. An expression of our Lord's to one of his doubt- 
ing disciples, is sufficient to throw the most convinc- 
ing light upon this matter: " Thomas," said he, " be- 
cause thou hast seen me, thou hast believed :" but 
what recompence or praise can be due to such a faith? 
"Blessed are they,that have not seen, and yet have be- 
lieved. 

To conclude. What occasion would there be for 
the exercise of either wisdom or virtue, was the one 
only good path presented so clearly to our view, that 
it would be dfficult to make choice of any other? Or to 
what good purpose could true philosophy serve, which 
has no other use, except that of teaching us to regu- 
late our principles and govern our actions, in a manner 
more suited to the perfection of our nature, than is cus- 
tomary with those, who are led by prejudice and 
passion ? 

From all these observations, it may justly be argu- 
ed, that to insist upon having religious doctrines 
without obscurity, and a revelation without mystery, 
is to destroy the design of the supreme Being, who 
hath placed us here in a state of trial. It is to confound 
the gaol with the course, the conflict with the triumph, 
and earth with Heaven. Nay more ; it is to confound 
the creature with the Creator, That, which is finite, 
must never hope to comprehend the heights and depths 
of inhnity. Archangels themserves, though endued 
with inconceivable degrees of wisdom and purity, will 
continually find unfathomable abysses in the divine 
nature. And if so, is it not to abjure good sense, as 
well as revelation, to turn our back upon the temple 
of truth, because there is found in it " a most holy 
place," where the profane are never suffered to enter, 
and the furniture of which, even true worshippers can 
neither clearly explain, nor fully comprehend. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 407* 



CHAP. XIV. 

IN ANSWER TO THE GRAND OBJECTION OF PHILOSO- 
PHERS AGAINST THE DOCTKINES OF THE GOSPEL, 
IT IS ARGUED, THAT THE ADVANTAGES OF THE 
REDEMPTION ARE EXTENDED, IN DIFFERENT DE- 
GREES, TO ALL MANKIND, THROUGH EVERY PERIOD 
OF THE WORLD. 

AS sophistical reasoners had a hundred objec- 
tions to propose against the doctrines of Socrates, 
who w r as a true philosopher ; so the philosophers of 
this age are industriously framing objections to the doc- 
trines of that Gospel, which unerring wisdom has an- 
nounced to the world. To determine, wnether or not 
those objections are just and unanswerable, we shall 
here consider that, which appears to be the most 
weighty, in the balance of those two companions in 
error, Mons. de Voltaire and J. J. Rousseau. " If 
your doctrine of Redemption," say they, |" is real- 
ly as important as you represent it, why has it been 
preached only for these last eighteen centuries ? If it 
was of so much consequence to mankind, God, with- 
out doubt, would have published it sooner, and more 
universally. 

Answer. The doctrine of Redemption, was not 
primarily necessary to mankind: since there was a 
time; when unoffending man stood in no. greater need 
of a Redeemer, than a healthy person stands in need 
of a physician, At that time, natural religion was 
suitable to the state of man, and the doctrines of de- 
ism were the spiritual food of his soul. But, as me- 
dicine is not less necessary than nutriment to a sick 
person, so fallen man stands in need of the Gospel, as 
well as of natural religion. And as strong nourish- 
ment would be a species of poison to a man enervated 
by a raging fever, so the tenets of theism administer* 
erf alone to a sinner 5 who burns with the disorderly fer- 



405 tHE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL* 

vor of pride, must inevitably prove fatal to the health 
of his soul. Thus the presumption of some philoso- 
phers is encreased by the. doctrines of deism, as the 
fever of a debilitated patient is redoubled by those very 
cordials, which would encrease the strength of a vigo- 
rous person. And this may serve as a proof, that the 
natural religion of sinless man, is as little adapted to 
man in his corrupt estate, as the sweet familiarity of an 
affectionate infant, is suitable to the character of a dar- 
ing and disobedient son. 

It is necessary here to observe, that there are two 
kinds of deism ; that of the humble sinner, who is not 
yet acquainted with the Gospel, and that of the pre- 
sumptuous reasoner, who rejects it with contempt. 
The centurion Cornelius, who lived in the practice of 
piety before he was perfectly acquainted with Christ, 
and the penitent publican alluded to by our Lord, were 
deists of the first class, and such as might well be es- 
teemed the younger brothers of christians. The se- 
cond class is made up of those theists, who trample 
Revelation under their feet, and who may properly be 
called the presumptuous pharisees of the present day. 
It is the haughty deism of these men, that a false phi- 
losophy would substitute in the place of the Gospel.*.. 
The judicious author of " The new Theological Dic- 
tionary," has characterized these two kinds of deism 
with an accuracy, peculiar to himself. " Deism," says 
lie, u was once on the high way from atheism to chris- 
" tianity ; but to day it is usually found upon the road 
" from Christianity to atheism." 

To assert, that the doctrine of the Redemption 
has been announced for no more than eighteen centu- 
ries, is to suppose there can be no appearance of light 
till the sun has risen above the horrizon. So soon as 
the work of redemption became necessary, in that 
very day it was announced to man. When our first 
parents had received from their merciful judge the 
sentence, that condemned them to misery and death, 
he immediately gave them a promise, that in some 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 4§9 

future clay a repairer of their evils should be bom of 
woman who should " bruise the head of the serpent," 
i. e. who should crush at once, ail the power of the 
tempter, and the pride of the sinner. ^ In consequence 
of this gracious covenant, which was, indeed, the first 
promulgation of the Gospel, God implanted in man 
an interior principle of Redemption, a seed of regene- 
rating grace, which should, in the end, spring up to 
everlasting life. Now, this principle was nothing less 
than a ray from the living word, which was afterwards 
to be visibly united with our nature, in order to raise 
man from his dishonorable fall, and finally, to procure 
for him a state superior to that, which he originally 
enjoyed. Nothing can be more explicit upon this 
point, than the following declaration of St. John, " In 
Him [the living word] was life ; and the life was the 
light of men. And the light shined in darkness ; and 
the darkness, in general, comprehended it not. This 
was, however, the true light, which lighteth, more or 
less, every man, that cometh into the world." When, 
therefore, a conceited freethinker superciliously ex- 
claims : " If the doctrine of the Redemption had been 
necessary, it would have been published in the earliest 
ages of the world".... such objection should serve as a 
manifest token of his ignorance in this matter, since 
that important doctrine was mercifully announced to 
the very first offender. If that doctrine, was after- 
wards corrupted by tradition ; if rebellious man be- 
gan to exalt himself as his own Saviour ; or if through 
impatience, he set up false mediators, instead of pati- 
ently expecting the fulfilment of Jehovah's promise : 
ail this evidently proves his extreme need of a Re- 
deemer. In short, if the greater part of the Jewish 
nation rejected this divine Saviour, in the days of his 
outward manifestation, and if prejudiced deists still 
continue to reject his offered assistance, all that can 
be proved by their unrelenting obstinacy, is the great- 
ness of their guilt and the depth of their depravity : 
just as the conduct of a patient, who abuses hisphysi- 

u m 



410 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 

cian, suffices only to demonstrate the excess of his deli- 
rium. 

Several reasons may be here produced, which 
might have engaged the Father of mercies to defer 
the external manifestation of our promised Redeemer, 
for a period of four thousand years. 

1. It is probable, that, as every thing is discovered 
to operate gradually in the natural world, the same 
order might be established in the moral world. Even 
since the time of Christ's outward manifestation, the 
influence of his redeeming power, has but gradually 
discovered itself in our yet benighted world. He him- 
self compared the Gospel to a little leaven, which 
spreads itself by slow degrees over a bulky mass of 
meal : and to a small seed, from which a noble plant is 
produced. To this we may add, that a portion, of 
time, which appears long and tedious to us, appears 
wholly different in the eyes of the everlasting I AM, 
before whom a thousand years are no more than a 
fleeting day. 

2. If immediately after the commission of sin, God 
had sent forth his Son into the -world to" raise us from 
our fall, before we had experienced the melancholy ef- 
fects of that fall ; such an hasty act, instead of mani- 
festing the perfections of the Deity, would have drawn 
a vail of obscurity between us and them. The divine 
mercy discovered in Jesus Christ, might then have 
appeared as insignificant to us, as to the arrogant de- 
ist, who, notwithstanding the crimes, with which the 
world has been polluted for near six thousand years, 
and in spite of those, which he himself has added 
to the prodigious sum, has yet the audacity to assert, 
that there is no necessity for a Redeemer, that man 
is good in his present state, and that he may conduct 
himself honourably through it, without .the assistance 
of regenerating grace. Hence it appears, that the 
outward manifestation of the Messiah was wisely de- 
ferred to a period of time far removed from the com- 
mencement of the fall. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST, PAUL. 411 

3. While the visible manifestation of Jesus was 
delayed, all things were put into a state of due prepara- 
tion for so great an event. And in the mean time, the 
seed of regeneration, which was received by man, af- 
ter God had pronounced the first evangelical promise, 
was as sufficient to save every penitent sinner, as the 
dawn of day is sufficient to direct every erring tra- 
veller. 

This merits an explanation. The first man, to 
whom the promise of Redemption was made, contained 
in himself the whole of his posterity: and this pro- 
mise, wonderfully powerful, as being the word of God, 
had an indiscribable effect upon the whole human 
race, implanting in man " a seed of regeneration, a Le- 
gos, a reason, a conscience, a light ; in short, a good 
principle,"which, in every sincere enquirer after truth, 
has been nourished by the grace of God, and seconded 
by the pious traditions of Patriarchs, Prophets, Apos- 
tles, Evangelists, or true philosophers. Unhappy is 
it for those, who, stifling in themselves every gracious 
sentiment, have treated this internal principle, as the 
Jews once treated their condescending Lord, and as 
sinners still continue to treat a preached Gospel. If 
such are not saved, it is not through want of an offer- 
ed Saviour, but because they have wilfully shut their 
eyes against the twilight, the opening dawn, or the me- 
redian brightness of the Gospel Day. 

Nothing can be more unreasonable than the objec- 
tion, to which we now return an answer. To argue, 
that God would be unjust, if, having given a Saviour to 
the world, he should not reveal that Saviour in an 
equal degree to all mankind, is to argue, that God 
is unjust, because, having given a Sun to the earth, he 
has not ordained that Sun equally to enlighten and 
cheer every part of the globe. Again. ...To insinu- 
ate that Christ cannot properly be regarded as the 
Saviour of mankind, because innumerable multitudes 
of men are not even acquainted with his name, is to 
insinuate, that the Sun is utterly useless to the deaf, 



412 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL.* 

because they have never heard the properties of that 
Sun described, and to the blind, because they have ne- 
ver seen his cheering beams. Lastly. To conclude 
that the Gospel is false, because it has not rapidly 
spread itself over the whole world, or because it is not 
observed to operate in a more hasty manner the hap- 
py changes it is said to produce :....thus to argue, is 
to reason as inconclusively, as a man who should 
say; The tree, that produces Jesuit's bark, is an in- 
significant and useless tree: for, 1st, It grows not in 
every country. 2dly, It has not always been known. 
Sddy, There are persons in the country where it grows, 
who look upon it as no extraordinary thing: and 4thly, 
Many, who have apparently given this medicine a pro- 
per trial, have found it unattended with those salutary 
effects so generally boasted of. 

Turning the arguments of our philosophers against 
their own system, we affirm, that the Messiah was 
manifested in a time and place peculiarly suited to sa 
great an event. With respect to the time ; He lived 
and died, when the human species had arrived at the 
utmost pitch of refinement and learning. Had He ap- 
peared two or three thousand years sooner, He must 
have visited the world in its infant state, while igno- 
rance and barbarity reigned among the nations ; but 
in the days of Augustus and Tiberias mankind may be 
said to have reached the highest degree of maturity, 
with respect to knowledge and civilization. Now, as 
it is necessary, that he, who bears testimony to any me- 
morable transaction, should be a man and not a child ; 
so it is equally necessary, that Christ should have ap- 
peared in the most polished period of the world, as Me* 
diator between God and man. 

Deists sometimes tell us, that the force of historic 
evidence is greatly diminished by lapse of time, as a 
taper placed at too great a distance loses much of its 
brightness. If Christ then had offered himself a ran- 
som for all, many ages sooner than unerring wisdom 
had ordained, the incredulous might have urged, that 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 413 

the history of a miraculous event, reported to have 
happened in so remote a period of time, was most' 
probably corrupted with uncertain tradition, and ren- 
dered unworthy of credit. 

On the other hand, if the accomplishment of the 
promise had been delayed some thousands of years 
longer, the faith and patience of believers would have 
been called to a proof incompatible with the weakness 
of humanity, And the impious might have said, con- 
cerning the first coming of Christ, what they have 
long ago tauntingly spoken of his second: "Where is 
the promise of his coming ? for since the fathers fell 
asleep, all things continue as they were from the be- 
ginning of the creation." 

What is here observed with respect to the age, in 
which the Messiah was cut off, is no less true of the 
season, the day, and the hour. He offered himself a 
sacrifice for the sins of the people in the noon day, at 
the solemn feast of the passover, and at that season of 
the year, which naturally invited the dispersed Jews 
to visit the holy city. The place was, like the time, 
peculiarly adapted to such an event: a country, in 
which the promise of Christ's coming had been fre- 
quently repeated. Moreover, He became obedient un- 
to death in the time predicted by the prophets ; be- 
fore a people, who possessed the oracles of God ; under 
the eyes of the high priest ; before Herod the king, 
together with the grand council of the nation ; be lore 
Pilate, who was lieutenant of the greatest prince on 
earth ; at the gates of Jerusalem; in the centre of Ju- 
dea, and nearly in the centre of the then known world. 
Thus, the external manifestation of our glorious Re- 
deemer maybe compared to a Sun 5 whose rising Wv^s 
preceded by a dawn, which benignly opened upon the 
first inhabitants of the earth : and whose setting is 
followed by a lovely twilight, which must necessarily 
continue, till He shall again ascend cioove our horri- 
zon, to go down no more. In this pou;t of view, the 
scriptures uniformly represent the sacrifice of Christ^ 

m m 2 



414 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 

St. Paul expressly declares, that, « by one offering, He 
hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified :" i. e. 
all those in every nation, who fear God and work 
righteousness. We argue, therefore, with this Apos- 
tle, that, 4 - as by the offence of one, judgment came up- 
on all men to condemnation, even so, by the righteous- 
ness of one, the free gift came upon all men unto jus- 
tification of life." 

From these observations we conclude, first. ...That the 
Gospel has been more or less clearly announced, ever 
since the time, in which a Redeemer became necessa- 
ry to man. Secondly : That Jesus Christ openly mani- 
fested Himself in a time most proper for such a dis- 
covery. Thirdly i That the work of redemption is 
as necessary to mankind, as-the assistance of medicine 
is necessary to those, who are struggling under some 
dangerous disease. Fourthly : That an explicit know- 
ledge of the Redeemer and his salvation is as desira- 
ble to those, who feel themselves ruined by sin, as the 
certain- knowledge of a physician,possessed of sovereign 
remedies, is consoling to the patient, who apprehends 
his life in imminent danger. Fifthly : As languish- 
ing infants may be restored by the medicines of a phy- 
sician, with which they are totally unacquainted, so 
Jews, mahometans, and heathens,- provided they walk 
according to the light they enjoy, are undoubtedly sa- 
ved by Jesus Christ, though they have no clear con- 
ception of the astonishing means employed to secure 
them from perdition. And lastly : that the grand ar- 
gument advanced against the Gospel by Mons. de Vol- 
taire a.nd J. J. Rousseau, is abundantly more specious 
than solid* 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL* 415 

CHAP. XV, 

REFLECTIONS UPON THE DANGER TO WHICH MODERN 
DEISTS EXPOSE THEMSELVES. 

IN refuting the objection of superficial moral- 
ists proposed in the preceding chapter, we may. per- 
haps, have afforded them ground for another, full as 
specious and solid. 

Objection, M If it be allowed, that in every age sal- 
vation has been extended to all the true worshippers 
of God, whether they have been pious Jews, such as- 
Joseph, Hezekiah, and Josiah : just men among the 
Gentiles, such as Melchisedec and Aristides ; or hea- 
then philosophers, who have walked in the fear of 
God, such as Pythagoras, Socrates, and Plato.. ..And 
if all these virtuous men have been saved without sub- 
scribing to the doctrines of the Gospel ; why may not 
deists and modern philosophers be permitted to enjoy 
the same salvation, while they reject those doctrines V 9 

Answer. There are three grand dispensations of 
grace. Under the first, every heathenish and unen- 
lightened nation must be ranked ; the Jews under the 
second ; and christians under the third, which is a dis- 
pensation abundantly more perfect than either of the 
former. The Followers of Mahomet may be classed 
with modern Jews, since they are deists of the same 
rank, and have equally deceived themselves with re- 
spect to that great Prophet, who came for the restora- 
tion of Israel. 

Those Jews, mahometans, and heathens, who " fear 
God and work righteousness/' are actually saved by^ 
Jesus Christ. Christ is the Truth and the Light : and 
these sincere worshippers receiving all the rays of 
truth, with which they are visited, afford sufficient 
proof, that they would affectionately admire and adore 
the Sun of righteousness Himself, were the interven- 
ing mists removed, by which he is concealed from 



416 THE. PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

their view. But it is wholly different with those ? who 
beholding this divine Sun, as He is revealed in the 
Gospel, determinately close their eyes against Hhn, 
and contemptuously raise a cloud of objections to vail 
Him, if possible, from the view of others. . Every vir- 
tuous heathen has manifested a love for truth, while 
many of our philosophers, in the pride of their hearts, 
reject and despise it. The former wrought out their 
salvation, though favoured only with the glimmering 
dawn of an evangelical day : the latter, surrounded with 
the meridian brightness of that day, are anxiously seek- 
ing the shadowy coverts of uncertainty and error.... 
Tiie former were saved, according to that apostolic de- 
claration : " glory, honour and peace to every man 
that worketh good, to the christian and the Jew firsts 
and also to the gentile : for there is no respect of persons 
with God." And of this number was the Apostle 
Paul, who obtained mercy, because he was ignorantly 
a persecutor of the truth. " living," at the same time, 
" in all good conscience before God." Nor can it be 
doubted, but the same grace, with which St. Paul was. 
visited in these circumstances, will, in various degrees, 
illumine and purify every soul that resembles him in 
uprightness and sincerity. The latter will be condemn- 
ed by virtue of the following declarations : " This is 
the condemnation, that hgnt is come into the world* 
and men loved darkness rather than light, because 
their deeds were evil. God will render unto them, 
that are contentious and do not obey the truth, indig- 
nation and wrath, tribulation and anguish upon every 
soul of man that rioeth evil, of the christian and the 
Jew first, and also of the gentile." 

From these citations we may infer, that, in several 
proportions, the salvation of virtuous heathens will 
differ as greatly from the salvation of true christians, 
as the brilliancy of an ag^te is different from that of a 
diamond. " many mansions ana different degrees of 
glory, are prepared in the House of our Father. There 
is one glory of the sun> and another giory of the moo% 



TEE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 41? 

and another glory of the stars ; for one star differeth 
from another star in glory." So also will it be in the 
resurrection of the dead, when God will render unto 
every man according to his works. 

The highest degrees of glory are reserved by the 
righteous Judge of all the earth, for the most faithful 
of his servants. The honourable privilege of being 
seated at the right hand of Christ will be conferred 
upon those, who have trodden in their Master's foot- 
steps, through the narrowest and most difficult paths 
of resignation and obedience. On the other hand, God 
will display the most terrible effects of his righteous 
anger upon those, who have trampled under foot the 
greatest and most frequent offers of divine grace, ac- 
cording to that exclamation of the Apostle : " How 
shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation ?" Since 
thus obstinately to despise the highest degrees of glo- 
ry, which may be attained under the Gospel, and dar- 
ingly to brave the threatenings denounced against those 
who reject that Gospel, discovers in the heart a cold 
indifference to real virtue, together with a sovereign 
contempt for the divine Author of it. 

As true virtue, like a beautiful plant, is continually 
rising to a state of maturity ; so true philosophy is- 
constantly aspiring after the highest attainable degrees 
of wisdom and purity. If any man neglects those 
means, which conduce to the perfection of virtue, when, 
they are once proposed to him, he gives evident proof^ 
that he has neither that instinct of virtue nor that true 
philosophy, which cannot but choose the most excel- 
lent end, together with the surest means of obtaining it* 
What would our philosophers say to a man, who, af- 
fecting' to aspire after riches, and being called to re- 
ceive a large quantity of gold, should inconsistently re- 
fuse it, in the following terms : " Many persons have 
been rich enough with a little money, to prevent them 
from starving, and I have no inclination to exceed them 
in point of fortune r" The objection proposed in this 
chapter is founded upon a like sophism* and amount* 



418 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

to but an equal argument: " Jews and virtuous hea- 
thens have received assistance sufficient, effectually to 
secure their salvation, and we have not presumption 
enough to desire any extraordinary advantage above 
them." 

It is difficult to form a just idea of the conceited- 
ness of those boasted moralists, who despise every help 
afforded by the Gospel, because some heathens, with- 
out such assistance, have been acceptable to God. We 
may compare it to the supposed self-sufficiency of a 
contemptible subaltern officer, who, being presented 
with a more honourable commission from his prince, 
should reject it and cry out, t; The commission is false, 
" and they who present it are no better than deceiv- 
" ers. I have no anxiety to quit my present post. I 
" aspire after no greater honours than those I possess. 
" Many thousands have faithfully served his majesty 
" in the capacity of subalterns ; nay, common soldiers 
" themselves have received testimonies of his royal 
u approbation : and why should my services afford 
44 him less satisfaction than theirs:" Was a corporal, 
in my hearing, thus to excuse his rejection of a mon- 
arch's offered kindness. 1 should suppose, either that he 
had no just conceptions of the honour, or was governed 
by motives too unworthy to be avowed. But this excuse 
would be insolent as well as pitiful, had the terms of 
■ the commission ran thus :...." Either serve your prince 
with fidelity, in the post to which he exalts you, or ex- 
pect to be treated with the utmost severity." 

Now such is the case with all those, who obstinate- 
ly reject the Gospel, and persevering!) 7 trample under 
foot the richest offers of unmerited grace. Tiiey 
either reject the truths of revelation through haugh- 
tiness of spirit; or they are held back from embrac- 
ing them, through the secret gratification of some in- 
ordinate appetite. Observe here, the ground of those 
memorable declarations of our blessed Lord : w Preach 
the Gospel to every creature. He that believeth and 
h baptized shall be saved ; but he 5 that believeth not, 



TEE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 419 

shall be damned. He that beiieveth not the Son, after 

;ing him evangelically announced, snail not see 
life ; but the wrath of God abideth on him. He is con- 
demned already ; for every one, that doeth evil, hateth 

light of the Gospel, neither cometh to the light, 
lest his deeds should be reproved. 

Upon this principle, as conformable to experience 
as to sound reason, the Gospel is not absolutely re- 
jected, except by those, who are either visibly cor- 
rupted, as Pilate and Felix, or secretly depraved, as Ju- 
das and Caiphas. And it was to persons of this cha- 
racter, that Christ addressed himself in the following 
terms : u How can ye believe, who receive honour one 
of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from 
God only I If any man will do the will of Him that 
sent me,'' and follow the light that is imparted to him, 
^ he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, 
or whether I speak of myself." Hence, when any, 
who have been consecrated to Christ by baptism, are 
seen withdrawing from the foot-stool of their Master to 
the schools of philosophy, or, at least, making no ad- 
vances in true holiness ; we may rest assured, that 
their decline is caused* or their spiritual growth pre- 
vented, by the secret indulgence of some vicious in- 
clination. Tnese philosophizing moralists, and these 
lukewarm disciples ma;" be compas ed to the fruit, that 
.falls before it has attained to the perfection of its spe- 
cies : examine such fruit, and you will find under a 
beautiful appearance, either a destructive worm, or 
loathsome rottenness. Such is the apostatizing deist 
under the most specious forms he can possibly assume. 

When j. J. Rousseau expressed himself in the fol- 
lowing terms : i: If God judges of faith by works, then 
to be a good man. is to be a real believer ;*' he was not 
far beside the truth, provided, that, by a good man, he 
intended ore, who lives in temperance, justice, and the 
fear of God ; since every man, in whom these virtues 
are discoverable, is assuredly principled in the true 
faith. Such a one is a real believer, according to that 



4-20 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

economy of grace, under which Job, Josiah, and So- 
crates, shone out to the glory of God ; men, who ei- 
ther possessed principles of faith,, or whose best ac- 
tions are no more to be admired, than those of our do- 
mestic animals. 

This writer had less distinct views of truth, when 
he added, " The true christian is the just man; unbe- 
lievers are the wicked :" -since there are just men, who 
are not yet christians, as there are studious persons, 
who cannot yet be accounted profound scholars. More- 
over, there are many, who, like the centurion Cor- 
nelius, do not yet believe the Gospel, because they 
have never heard that Gospel explained with preci- 
sion and fidelity : and surely such deserve not to be 
termed absolutely unjust men. The latter proposi- 
tion approaches indeed nearer the truth, " Unbelievers 
are the wicked:" yet this is false; except the term 
unbeliever be taken for one, who obstinately disbelieves 
the Gospel: since a good man, who receives the first 
part of the Apostles' Creed.may yet, like Nathaniel and 
Nicodemus, be so forcibly held back by involuntary 
prejudice, with respect to the other parts of the same 
Creed, that he may fluctuate long between truth and 
error. It is by propositions so vague and insiduous, 
that our philosophers delude themselves and beguile 
their disciples. 

But replies J. J. Rouseau, " have we power to be- 
lieve •? Is the not being able to argue well imputed to 
us as a crime? Conscience informs not, what we are to 
think, but what we are to do : it teaches us not to rea- 
son well, but to act well. 55 And are all the faculties of 
man, except his conscience, to be considered as utterly 
useless, with regard to this important matter ? Let it 
however, be granted, that a wicked and haughty per- 
son has it not in his power to believe ; yet it is highly 
necessary that he should fear the truth, so long as he 
gives himself up either to actions or inclinations, that 
are manifestly evil. Thus the conscious robber can 
never overcome his fear of justice, so long as he is 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 421 

disposed to continue his iniquitous practices : but if, 
after making full restitution, he should become sin- 
cerely upright, maintaining a conscience void of of- 
fence toward God and toward man rhe will tremble 
no more at the idea of judges, tribunals, or execu- 
tions. 

If it be asked, what secret vice it was, that would 
not suffer so honest a man as J. J. Rousseau to em- 
brace the gospel ? Without searching into the anec- 
dotes of his life, we may rest satisfied with the disco- 
very he has made of his own heart, in this single sen- 
tence : " What can be more transporting to a noble soul 
than the pride of virtue!" Such was the pride which 
made him vainly presume, that he had power sufficient 
to conquer himself, without invoking the assistance of 
God ; and by which he was encouraged to assert, that 
the doctrines of the Gospel were such as " no sensible 
man could either conceive or admit." Such was the vir- 
tuous pride, which would not suffer the pharisees 
to receive the humiliating truths of the Gospel, and 
which filled the heart of Caiaphas with jealousy and 
hatred against Christ. 

There is no species of pride more insolent than 
that, which gives rise to the following language. " It is 
" asserted, that God so loved the world, as to give 
" his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in 
" him should not perish, but have everlasting life." 
" These tidings, whether they be true or false, are high- 
" ly acceptable to many : but, for my own part, I open- 
u ly declare, that I reject, with contempt, the idea of 
X6 such a favour. I read with attention those writ- 
u ings, which tend to unfold the mysteries of nature, 
" but resolve never to turn over those authors, who 
" vainly attempt to establish the truth of the Gospel. 
u This subject, though it has occupied the thoughts 
" and engaged the pens of enquiring students for these 
u seventeen hundred years, I shall ever regard as un- 
u worthy my attention. I leave it to the vulgar, who 
« are easily persuaded of its importance. My virtues 

n n 



422 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

f? are sufficient to expiate my crimes, and on these I 
" will resolutely depend, as my sole mediators before 
" God." If this is implicitly the language of every 
man, who obstinately rejects thedoctrines of the Gos- 
pel, what heights of presumption, and what depths of 
depravity, must lie open, in the souls of such, to the 
eye of Omniscience ! Reason and Revelation agree to 
condemn them. Behold the ground of their sentence. 
" Whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased ; and 
he that humbleth himself shall be exalted : for God 
resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble." 
Reason itself is sufficient to discover, that before 
the Supreme Being nothing can appear more detes- 
table than the pride of a degenerate and ungrateful crea- 
ture. And if so, the deists of Socrates's time must have 
been far less culpable, than those of the present day. 
The former, conscious of the uncertainty with which 
they were encompassed, made use of every help they 
could procure, in the pursuit of truth, with unwearied 
assiduity. The latter, presuming upon their own 
sufficiency, decide against doctrines of the utmost im- 
portance without impartially considering the eviden- 
ces produced in their favour. The former, by care- 
fully examining every system morality proposed to 
their deliberation, discovered a candour and liberality 
becoming those, who were anxiously u feeling after 
God, if haply they might find him." The latter, by 
condemning Revelation, without calmly attending to 
the arguments of its advocates, manifest a degree of 
prejudice, that would be unpardonable in a judge, but 
w r hich becomes execrable in a criminal, who is pressed 
bv the strongest reasons to search out the truth. 

Plato, in the sixth book of his Republic, introduces 
his Master marking out the dispositions necessary to 
a virtuous man. "Let us begin, says Socrates, by 
recounting what qualities are necessary to him, who 
would one day become an honest man and a true phi- 
losopher. The first quality is the love of truth, which 
he ought to seek after in every thing, and by every 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 423 

means ; true philosophy being absolutely incompa- 
tible with the spirit of delusion. He, who has a 
sincere desire to obtain wisdom, cannot confine him- 
self to things, that are here below, ^of which he can 
acquire but an uncertain knowledge. He is born for 
truth, and he tends to it with an ardour, which nothing 
is able to restrain." Ye, who oppose philosophy to 
Revelation, and reject, without thoroughly investiga- 
ting, the doctrines of the Gospel, can you be said to 
discover an attachment to truth, as sincere as that of 
Socrates ? Bo ye not rather esteem that an excessive 
fondness for truth, or even a dangerous species of 
enthusiasm, which the wisest heathens have looked up- 
on, as the first disposition requisite to an honest man? 
Plato and his master, who scrupulously acknow- 
ledged the truth wherever they discovered it, were 
assuredly in a state of acceptance before God, with- 
out an explicit acquaintance with Jesus Christ : for 
where the Almighty hath not strewed,there will He ne- 
ver, expect to gather ; and where He hath scattered 
only the first truths of the Gospel, there He never 
will require, that precious fruit, which He expects \& 
be produced by the highest truths of Revelation. Thus 
the husbandman is content to reap nothing but barley 
in a field, where nothing but barley has been sown.... 
But if, after sowing the same field with the purest 
wheat, it should produce only tares with a few scatter- 
ed ears of barley ; he would, undoubtedly, express a 
degree of surprise and displeasure, at having his rea- 
sonable expectations so strangely disappointed. 

In the new Testament we find a remarkable para- 
ble to this purpose, where mankind are considered as 
the domestics of Gon's immense houshold. In this 
parable the Almighty is represented as collecting his 
servants together, and confiding to the care of each a 
separate loan, to be employed for. the mutual interest 
of the covenanting parties. To one of his domestics 
he imparts five talents ; to another two ; while a third 
has no more than a single talent committed to his 



424 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

charge : but all are required so to occupy, that their 
gains may be proportionate to the several sums en- 
trusted to their fidelity. Now, if the christian with 
live talents of spiritual knowledge acquires no advan- 
tage over the Jew, who has received but two ; is it not 
evident, that he has acted the part of an unfaithful ser- 
vant ? Nay, he is to be esteemed even more unprofit- 
able than the heathen, who suffers his single talent to 
lie unimproved ; since amidst all his trifling gains, he 
has slothfully concealed three valuable talents, while 
the other has buried but one. But were the first and 
the last to derive equal advantagesjfrom the dispropor- 
tionate privileges permitted them to enjoy, while the 
latter would be received sis a good and faithful servant* 
the former might deservedly be treated with an unu- 
sual degree of severity by his insulted Lord. This 
parable may assist us to conceive, that a philosopher,, 
who is called by baptism to evangelical perfection, and 
yet contents himself with practising the morality of a 
heathen, has not in reality so much solid virtue as a 
sincere deist bred up in the bosom of paganism. 

Our progress in morality, like our advancement in 
science, is to be estimated by considering the circum- 
stances in which we are placed, and the privileges we 
enjoy. A dramatic piece composed by a child or a 
iiegro, might be received with plaudits, which would 
be justly hissed off the stage, had it been produced 
by a Shakespear or a Corneiile. A traveller, who 
expresses his admiration at the address, with which 
savages manage a hatchet of stone,would express equal 
astonishment at the weakness of his countrymen* 
should he see them casting aside their axes of iron* 
and felling their trees with ill -formed implements of 
flint. Thus, after admiring the successful efforts of 
Socrates, who drew many sacred truths from the cha- 
os 6f paganism, how astonishing is it, to behold mo- 
dern philosophers patching up a confused system of 
deistical morality, to be substituted in place of the 
*ublimer doctrines, and the purer morality of the Gos- 



TKEr PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 425 

pel. Wherever such retrograde reasoners are disco- 
veredj their insignificant labours must be universally 
deploraoie by the lovers of truth. But when these 
champions of false wisdom endeavour to bury, under 
the ruins of Christianity, those important truths, which 
heathens themselves have formerly ^discovered, it is 
impossible to behold their impious efforts without 
feeling all the warmth of an honest indignation. 

We shahVconclude this Essay by transcribing a 
part of that ancient testimony which was borne by 
Lactantius, to the power of those doctrines for which 
we contend. 

" That which many have discovered, by the assist- 
ance of natural religion, to be their indispensibie duty, 
but which they have never been able either to prac- 
tise themselves, or to see exemplified in the conduct 
of philosophers ; all this the sacred doctrines of the 
Gospel assist us to perform, because- that Go. pel is 
wisdom in its highest excellence. How shall phiio- 
phers persuade others, while they themselves continue 
in a state of perplexity ? Or how shall they repress 
the passions of others, while, by giving way to their 
own, they tacitly confess that nature, in spite of all 
their efforts, is still triumphant. But daily experience 
testifies, how r great an influence the ordinances of God 
have upon the heart. Give me a passionate, slander- 
ous, implacable man ; and*, through the power of 
our Gospel, I will return him to you gentle as a lamb. 
Give me an avaricious man, whose greediness of gain 
will suffer him to part with nothing ; and I will retu, n 
him to you so liberal, that he will o;ive away his mo- 
ney by handful s. Bring me a man, who trembles at 
the approach of pakrand death : ere long, he shall 
look with contempt upon crosses, fires, and even the 
bull of Phalaris itself. Present me with a debauchee, 
an adulterer, a man holy lost to good manners : you 
shall shortly behold him an example of sobriety, up- 
rightness and continence. Give me a cruel and blood- 
thirsty man : his ferocious disposition shall suddenly 

n n 2 



4S6 THE PORTRAIT OT ST. TAW&* 

l>e succeeded by real clemency. Give me an unjus£ 
man, a stupid person, an extravagant sinner : you shall 
shortly behold him scrupulously just, truly wise, and 
leading a life of innocence. ...Such is the power of hea* 
Yenly wisdom, that it is no sooner shed abroad in the 
heart, but, by a single effort, it chases away folly, the 
mother of sin. To compose these invaluable ends, a 
Hian is under no necessity of paying salaries to mas- 
ters of philosophy, and passing whole nights in medi- 
tating upon their works. Every necessary assistance 
is imparted without delay, with ease, and free from 
cost ; if there be not wanting an t attentive ear, and a 
heart desirous of wisdom. The sacred source to which, 
we point, is plenteous, overflowing, and open to all 
tnen : the celestial light, we announce, indiscriminate- 
ly arises upon all, who open their eyes to behold ifr 

What philosopher has ever done so much ? Who 
among them is able to perform such wonders ? After 
having passed their lives in the study of philosophy, it 
appears, that they have neither bettered themselves 
nor others, when nature causes them any great resist- 
ance- Their wisdom serves rather to cover, than to* 
eradicate, their vices. Whereas our divine instruc- 
tions, i. e. the doctrines of the Gospel, so totally 
change a man, that you would no longer know him. 
for the same person*** Lact. Lib. iii. cap. 2(L 



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